Every year, June 2, my dad’s birthday, sneaks up on me. Rarely do I have a gift for him (though it always serves as a reminder of Father’s Day, a few weeks later).  Had I been thinking, this year I would have given my dad a copy of Monica Nucciarone’s new book, Alexander Cartwright: The Life Behind the Baseball Legend. My dad (like many dads out there) loves both baseball and baseball history, and I’m sure he’d appreciate learning more of Cartwright’s very interesting life, which included founding the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club of New York, joining the California Gold … Continue reading Happy birthday Dad! Happy publication day Alexander Cartwright! Happy upcoming Father’s Day!

Here are a few shots from BookExpo America: More than 50 people attended BEA’s Independent Publishers Editors Buzz panel Saturday morning. Tom Swanson pitched Ted Kooser’s forthcoming book, Lights on a Ground of Darkness. ForeWord Magazine's Independent Publisher of the Year Award looks nice in the UNP booth. A wider view of the UNP booth after Thursday's setup. Continue reading Photographic Review of BEA

 On this day in 1848, Wisconsin became the 30th U.S. State. To celebrate this anniversary, here are some facts about the Badger State: — The name “Wisconsin” comes from a Ojibwa word meaning “red rocks” or “gathering of waters.” The name was originally used to describe the Wisconsin River. — Wisconsin claims to be the home of more country music festivals than any other state. — America’s Dairyland is actually only the second highest producer of dairy products in the United States – California is first. — Architect Frank Lloyd Wright was a Wisconsin Native, and a summer home and … Continue reading This day in history, Wisconsin trivia, and a reminder about BEA

It is a most unusual Donner Party narrative, for rather than writing a narrative of the Donner’s cross-country journey, Gabrielle Burton takes her husband and five daughters on a road trip, visiting spots that Tamsen Donner lived in along the way. The catch? The road trip was in 1977, when Burton was trying to write a novel that touched, but did not focus, on Tamsen Donner. … The result is part memoir, part historical recreation, part travelogue. This is from the blog Ghost Word, which today features a post on University of Nebraska Press author Gabrielle Burton and her newest … Continue reading University of Nebraska Press in (cyber)space

Happy Friday, UNP blog readers! This weekend is the Lincoln Marathon, and a number of University of Nebraska Press employees are running either the full or the half. Most years I’d be out there, too, but alas, I’ll be out of town this weekend, so instead I’ll have to settle for checking my friends’ and co-workers’ times online. Another good substitute for running the actual race, though, is Rachel Toor’s book, Personal Record, which the UNP published last year. Rachel captures the moments of euphoria, despair, crippling pain and relief that come with running a race that long. She also … Continue reading Marathons and sustainable agriculture in this extra-long Friday post

Happy Friday! If you live in Nebraska, I hope you’re enjoying the beautiful day as much as I am. And if you’re in the Boston area next week, you can attend one of two lectures by Nobel Prize winner and University of Nebraska Press author J. M. G. Le Clézio for free. On Tuesday, April 28th, he’ll give a talk and reading in English at MIT, 32 Vassar Street, in Cambridge. The talk begins at 6 p.m. Or, if you’d prefer to hear him speak in his native language, you can attend a lecture in French on Wednesday, April 29th, … Continue reading Need for the Bike

Attention book lovers and bargain hunters: Our hurt book sale is tomorrow! Visit our warehouse (in the Haymarket) for lots and lots of cheap books — $4 for hardcovers, $2 for paperbacks, or fill a bag for a mere $12. There’s lots of good stuff, including Kooser titles, sports history books, and, naturally, lots and lots of stuff about the American West. Exciting stuff! In other event news, Hilda Raz will read from her recent work tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Great Plains Art Gallery, 12th and Q streets. Among Raz’s recent work is What Happens, a poetry collection … Continue reading Book bargains galore!