Below is a guest blog from Nancy Plain. Her new book, Light on the Prairie, is the biography and photographic works of Solomon D. Butcher. Here, we get an inside peek as to why she chose Solomon as her newest book subject.  

I can’t remember when I first saw a photograph by Solomon Butcher.  But around the time I was searching for a new book project, I found myself scrolling through his remarkable photos on the “Prairie Settlement” website of the Library of Congress.  I was hooked.  They look straight at the camera, Solomon’s pioneers, and they stand up straight amidst their families and possessions, against a background of infinite prairie.  If you peer really closely, you can find little secrets in the pictures—a shy child peeking out from a window, a dog half hidden in a shadowed doorway.  During the course of my research, I learned about individual sodbusters.  One of my favorite photographs is that of the four beautiful Chrisman sisters, known by their nicknames—Hattie, Lizzie, Lutie, and Babe.  Babe didn’t like how she looked in the photo, though.  She thought it made her look like a “horse thief!”

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Kate Buford is the author of Native American Son. In light of the Olympics beginning tomorrow, she writes of an Olympic past legend, Jim Thorpe, and today's Olympic excitement.

As the world gears up for Opening Day of the XXX Olympiad, media outlets are pumping out new alarming stories of security snafus in London along with the usual poignant tales of athletes’ life obstacles overcome.

The hype and frenzy are taken for granted now, but when did they begin? When did the world first realize the potential thrill the Games dangle in front of us every four years? That an athlete will come out of nowhere and astonish us with feats of bodily skill we have never seen before.

Though the first Games of the modern Olympic movement were held in 1896 in Athens, it wasn’t until the Fifth Olympiad in Stockholm in 1912 that one athlete – Jim Thorpe – created the model of the Olympic super-star. First he won the classic five-event track and field pentathlon by a huge margin – and then he did the same thing in the new ten-event decathlon.

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The 2012 All-Star Game is tonight, the best players are chosen to battle for league domination. But with every name on the back of a jersey comes a different story. Below is a guest blog from Katya Cengel. Her new book Bluegrass Baseball describes a year in the life of four minor league baseball teams in Kentucky that tell a larger story about the culture atmosphere of today's minor leagues. Two years ago I was interviewing Jose Altuve in a crowded apartment in Lexington, Kentucky. Altuve had recently made the South Atlantic League All Star roster. But he wasn’t pleased with his performance. He was … Continue reading From the desk of Katya Cengel

Below is a guest blog post from Mark Liebenow, author of Mountains of Light. In his new book, Liebenow takes us deep into the heart of Yosemite National Park, introducing us to its grand and subtle marvels—and to the observations, reflections, and insights its scenery evokes. Here, he discusses how he comes to his findings in nature. When I go into nature, whether it’s for a day or a week, I carry a pocket notebook and record my thoughts and observations.  At the evening campfire I transfer them to a larger journal, adding in the details before I forget them … Continue reading Hiking into the Yosemite wilderness

Rachel Toor, author of Personal Record: A Love Affair with Running (2008), didn’t start out as a runner. In fact, she considered herself a bookish egghead who ran only to catch a bus. But since she ran her first race more than 20 years ago, she's finished dozens of marathons, qualified numerous times for Boston, and run many ultra-marathons and other endurance races, too. Toor is now sponsored by Athleta. For the next year, she'll blog for the clothing company about running, 2012 resolutions and above all, enjoying the ups and downs of life. Read her first blog post here … Continue reading Runner, writer, reader

Educated Tastes is a collection of new essays, edited by Jeremy Strong, that examine how taste is learned, developed, and represented. From the highs (and lows) of connoisseurship to the frustrations and rewards of a mother encouraging her child to eat, the essays in this volume explore the complex and infinitely varied ways in which food matters to all of us. Strong has given UNP an insight as to how this book began and where the idea came from. Below is an explanation from the author himself: The background to Educated Tastes starts with an article I published in Gastronomica … Continue reading Guest blog: Jeremy Strong

Lisa Catherine Harper, author of A Double Life: Discovering Motherhood, wrote a guest blog for Huff Post Parents. In her post, she discusses banned books and what affects those have on children. When talking about one of her son’s favorites, Captain Underpants, she writes,” The problem is not really the appropriate — or inappropriateness — of Pilkey's world. The problem is much bigger: we limit our kids' literacy all the time.” One of her final points is that “It shouldn't matter what kids want to read. They should just read.” To read Harper’s full blog post, click here. Continue reading Banned books, limited literacy