Praise for Paper Tiger

Paper Tiger: A NovelBy Olivier Rolin, Translated by William Cloonan “[S]uperbly translated by Cloonan.”—Publishers Weekly “Martin, an aging French radical from the 60s, wonders where it all went and why. One night in 2000, when this rushing stream of a book is set, he broods out loud while driving around (and around and around) Paris with Marie, the 24-year-old daughter of his best friend from ‘the Cause.’ . . . [T]here are also treats that make the car ride worth taking, some serious (like Rolin’s observations—often pessimistic—about the human condition) and others delightfully comic (like the young revolutionaries’ many botched … Continue reading Praise for Paper Tiger

Punxsutawney Phil and XLI

Somehow, the two are related. 

Phil the Groundhog says that spring is just around the corner.  If you want to read his official forecast, you can find it at the Greetings from Punxsutawney page.  IfPrairie_dog_empire
you’re further west from Punxsutawney, PA, you may be curious if prairie dogs ran from their shadows or ventured out into a shadow-free field on this year’s Prairie Dog day. 

Prairie Dog Day?  Since about 2002, various wildlife groups from prairie states have rallied around naming February 2nd "Prairie Dog Day" in honor of the western, furry, burrowing and threatened rodent.  The Center for Native Ecosystems, Forest Guardians, and Boulder Regional Group seek more protection for the prairie dogs.

Paul A. Johnsgard, winner of the 2004 National Conservation Achievement Award and recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001 (both awards are sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation), talks about the history and life of the prairie dogs as well as their importance to the Great Plains’ ecosystem in the surprisingly accessible Prairie Dog Empire: A Saga of the Shortgrass Prairie.

Continue reading “Punxsutawney Phil and XLI”

An Evening with Joel Sartore

"At Close Range with National Geographic," NET Television‘s documentary on UNP author Joel Sartore, will be televised nationally on PBS February 5 at 9 pm CST.  If the anticipation is too much, here is the audio from the Nebraska: Under a Big Red Sky launch party back on On November 30, 2006.  Sartore speaks about his current projects, the rigors of wildlife photography, the ups and downs of digital photography, and the challenges of getting the perfect shot. Continue reading An Evening with Joel Sartore

UNP Author in Bud Greenspan Documentary

n February 1, 2007, Showtime will begin airing the Bud Greenspan documentary Pride Against Prejudice: The Larry Doby Story.  Larry Doby was the second black baseball player to cross the color line when he joined the Cleveland Indians, soon after Branch Rickey signed Jackie Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers. Lee Lowenfish, author of Branch Rickey: Baseball’s Ferocious Gentleman, (UNP, April 2007) is featured in the film.  Famed Sportscaster and actor Bob Costas remarked, "[j]ust about everyone knows that Branch Rickey played a major role in modern baseball’s most important development, the breaking of the color line. Yet, even if you … Continue reading UNP Author in Bud Greenspan Documentary

Author Events

Castro’s CurveballBy Tim Wendel Friday, February 2, 20077:30 PMBlack Oak Books1491 Shattuck AvenueBerkeley, CA 94709(510) 486-0698Tim Wendel and Screenwriter Melanie Dixon will read from Castro’s Curveball, the novel and the script. Crazy Horse By Mari SandozWith an introduction by Vine Deloria Jr. Saturday, February 3, 2007Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage CenterChadron State College 1000 Main StreetChadron, NE 69337The Mari Sandoz historical biography, Crazy Horse:The Strange Man of the Oglalas has been selected as the featured book for the 2007 statewide celebration of One Book One Nebraska. Exhibit opens at the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center. Rock, Ghost, Willow, DeerBy … Continue reading Author Events

Praise for The Complete Letters of Henry James

The Complete Letters of Henry James, 1855–1872: Volumes 1 and 2Edited by Pierre A. Walker and Greg W. Zacharias “These extraordinary, profoundly welcome volumes are the first fruits of an epic undertaking by two heroic American scholars, Pierre Walker and Greg Zacharias. . . . The two volumes here contain 161 painstakingly   edited, spaciously presented letters (52 previously unpublished). The total number of James letters known to be in existence today is 10,423. . . . The editors coolly estimate that ‘this project will produce at least 140 individual volumes.’ A comprehensive edition is overdue. . . . [T]hese early … Continue reading Praise for The Complete Letters of Henry James

Cather Archive Grows

Hundreds of Willa Cather’s letters and other materials were donated to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  The donated collection, previously unknown, includes more than 350 letters and a number of postcards, photographs and books.  This donation triples the University Archives’ of Cather’s letters.  And although instructions in Willa Cather’s will do not allow the publication of any of her personal correspondence, scholars are free to visit the UNL libraries and view the materials.  Willa Cather (1873-1947)–Nebraska raised and an alumnus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln– was an award-winning author.  She is most remembered for her books My Antonia and Death Comes … Continue reading Cather Archive Grows

There and Back Again

few years ago, when there was only talk of a movie of The Lord of the Rings being made, a friend of mine went to a Halloween party dressed as Gandalf the Grey. The first guess made, "Are you Moses?" I doubt the same mistake would be made today. It has been about two years since The Return of the King came out and I am just about ready to read them again. Yes, I am one of the fans, ever since I was about twelve. I used to read them every year or two along with The Hobbit, The … Continue reading There and Back Again