The Floor of the Sky by Pamela Joern “The Floor of the Sky honors the pleasures and pitfalls of family without a shred of sentimentality. . . . Joern . . . is a fine writer incapable of excess or artifice. Written in present tense, the book has an unintentionally cinematic quality. Its dialogue is varied and authentic. . . . Ron Hansen [Flyover Fiction series editor] . . . uncover[s] a quiet little gem in Joern’s debut.”—Pamela Miller, Minneapolis Star-Tribune Read More Praise for The Floor of the Sky Continue reading More Praise for The Floor of the Sky

Level Playing Fields:
How the Groundskeeping Murphy Brothers Shaped Baseballby Peter Morris

“Peter Morris’s short but masterly Level Playing Fields: How the Groundskeeping Murphy Brothers Shaped Baseball looks at the development of professional baseball and, indeed, at Americans’ changing image of their society, from a much-neglected angle, that of the material conditions of play. The careers of Tom and John Murphy were pivotal. . . .  This book is packed with insight and telling detail on both baseball and the American temper.”—Katherine A. Powers, Boston Globe

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Branch Rickey: Baseball’s Ferocious Gentleman by Lee Lowenfish “Given the high-stakes nature of contemporary baseball, it’s fascinating to get a glimpse of the game’s roots, and Lowenfish deftly etches the frustrations and difficulties of small-market life. . . . Lowenfish’s take is detailed and nuanced, balancing the issue of integration with the economic and competitive imperatives of running a professional baseball team. . . . Where Lowenfish is at his best is in explicating the complex and often contradictory impulses that drove his subject, as well as his almost evangelical sense of self. . . . All this leaves us … Continue reading More Praise for Branch Rickey

t’s cold here in Nebraska.  Last week, the weather was in the 70s.  Today, it’s not going to make it to 40 degrees Fahrenheit!  Granted, 39 degrees isn’t unbearable–it’s not even the coldest its been this year–but I got so used to those warm and sunny days. If I can help it, I’m going to stay inside as much as possible today.  And to stave off the boredom, I’ll read some poetry blogs.  Why poetry blogs?  Because it’s National Poetry Month (hence our poetry sale)!  Poets keep blogs:The Poetry Foundation has a blog called Harriet which discusses all things poetry … Continue reading A Healthy Dose of Poem

The Enigma Woman: The Death Sentence of Nellie May Madison by Kathleen A. Cairns €œNellie was pegged by the media as a femme fatale, a character out of a noir tale. The author has done considerable research in this well-written true crime chronicle, but what happened in Nellie’€™s bedroom in 1934 still remains an enigma. –€”Publishers Weekly “A new book out this month finally tells us the entire tale of Nellie Madison for the first time, and it is so terrifically researched, so well put together, you might forget the story took place in 1934. . . . [I]t’s a … Continue reading Praise for The Enigma Woman

Ethnicity and Equality: France in the Balance by Azouz Begag “The political and ideological challenges of reconciling republicanism with the demands of diversity are well illustrated by Azouz Begag’s fine study, Ethnicity and Equality: France in the Balance.”—Richard Wolin, The Nation Continue reading Praise for Ethnicity and Equality

Bigger than Life: A Murder, a Memoir by Dinah Lenney “Before his murder, Dinah Lenney’s father was Bigger than Life but looms larger in death.”—Elissa Schappell, Vanity Fair Read More praise for Bigger than Life Continue reading More Praise for Bigger than Life

The Big Empty: Contemporary Nebraska Nonfiction Writersedited by Ladette Randolph and Nina Shevchuk-Murray “A wise friend once recommended learning about an unfamiliar place by reading the works of authors who live there. That theory proves true with this collection of 27 previously published essays and excerpts by Nebraskan nonfiction  writers. . . . This diverse collection enables the reader to experience life in Nebraska. An excellent selection for regional libraries and academic literature collections.”—Library Journal “The Big Empty isn’t about nothing. It’s about Nebraska, its writers and its potential.” —Rick Brown, Kearney Hub “These essays are springs from which flows … Continue reading Praise for The Big Empty

nto That Silent Sea: Trailblazers of the Space Era, 1961-1965 by Francis French and Colin Burgess is coming out this month and I can barely contain myself.  It isn’t science fiction, but it science and lots of sf is based in space.  I don’t need to justify mentioning it to you all just because I am obsessed with space travel and astronauts.  Honest, I don’t.  I just wanted to point it out in case anyone else is as geeky as I am.  So I did.  I am sooooo excited. Continue reading This is Coming Out!!