New this month from the University of Nebraska Press, is The Art and Aesthetics of Boxing by David Scott. What separates a street fight from a boxing match? What link is there between boxing and cubist painting? Scott addresses these questions, and many more, by making daring correlations between the athletic world and the artistic one. He suggests that not only does boxing have intrinsic aesthetic qualities but that these qualities have been influencing artists throughout history. This weeks Tuesday Trivia will try and test that theory by quizzing all you literature buffs on how well versed you are in the … Continue reading Tuesday Trivia: January 6, 2009

Well readers, it’s a new year! I don’t know about you but I plan on keeping all my new year’s resolutions in 2009. I have a feeling the dieting one will probably be the hardest though. I’ve heard it always is! The weather seems to be looking up, so that has to be a good karmic sign. If anything, we’ve got a few things this week to give your new year a very bright start! December 29, 1851: The first YMCA opens in Boston, Massachusetts. The YMCA has always been a proponent for joining communities through athletics and physical activity. … Continue reading This Week in History: December 29- January 2, 2009

New this month from the University of Nebraska Press is Song of the Oktahutche: Collected Poems by Alexander Posey, edited and with an introduction by Matthew Wynn Sivils. Muscogee (Creek) writer and humorist Alexander Posey (1873–1908) lived most of his short but productive life in the Muscogee Nation, in what is now Oklahoma. He was one of the most prominent American Indian literary figures of his era. Song of the Oktahutche collects for the first time all of Posey’s poetry, which has until now been scattered in various rare volumes, either unpublished or replete with textual errors. This week Linking … Continue reading Linking in Lincoln: January 1, 2009

New this month from the University of Nebraska Press is Farewell to Sport by Paul Gallico. For fourteen years during the golden age of sports, Paul Gallico was one of America’s ace sportswriters. He saw them all—the stars and the hams, the immortals and the phonies in boxing, wrestling, baseball, football, golf, tennis, and every other field of muscular endeavor. But before he departed the world of sports, he left his legions of fans one last hurrah: a collection of his best sports essays. This week Tuesday Trivia is going to quiz you on some other famous farewells, are you … Continue reading Tuesday Trivia: December 30, 2008

Read from "On How Not to Begin" in Bicycling beyond the Divide: Two Journeys into the West by Daryl Farmer:

"Saturday, May 7. I said good-bye to Joan and my parents, wobbled down the driveway, pedaled to the end of the street, King to 30th, and onto Pikes Peak, to the four-way stop on 36th. The mountain air was cool, the sun behind me, the shadows long. I crossed Colorado Avenue and merged onto Highway 24 and Ute Pass. I rode for about a mile, but the seat wasn’t set right, so I stopped to adjust it. After placing my tools back into the front pocket of my rear pannier, I neglected to cinch it. As I pedaled, the strap caught in my spokes and ripped. Then I realized that my cyclometer wasn’t working. Not used to the altitude, or the climb, I was already panting. I hadn’t ridden for nearly three weeks, was in probably the worst shape of my life, and it was clear I’d packed too much gear. I stopped to catch my breath and tried to decide what to do about the cyclometer. I didn’t want to ride without it, and I wouldn’t be near a bike shop until Breckenridge, maybe three days away. Best to get it fixed now, I thought.

Continue reading “Off the Shelf: Bicycling beyond the Divide by Daryl Farmer”

Ok readers, Christmas is finally here! We can all look forward to a week full of food, presents, time off of work, no school, and lots of snow (especially you’re living in Nebraska). We’ve been enjoying a week full of below zero temperatures, but I think I can safely say that the Christmas spirit has not been dampened. After all, the weather will make for the perfect excuse to stay indoors and curl up with a University of Nebraska Press book. They also make great gifts!  If you’re unsure what to get, I’ve got a week’s worth of suggestions for … Continue reading This Week in History: December 22-26, 2008

New this month from the University of Nebraska Press is The Buffalo Hunters: The Story of the Hide Men (2nd edition) by Mari Sandoz. In 1867 there were fifteen million buffalo in the trans-Missouri region, but by the mid 1880’s there were only a few hundred to speak of. It is the decimation of this species that The Buffalo Hunters centers around. This week Linking in Lincoln is going to center on buffalo as well. We’ve got Buffalo University, Buffalo Gals, and just a little Mari Sandoz to spice things up. Are you ready reader? 1.    Mari Sandoz has written … Continue reading Linking in Lincoln: December 25, 2008

We hope this holiday season is one spent among friends, family … and a few good books. When I was growing up, there were certain books I read each Christmastime, the same way I always made a point to watch “White Christmas,” “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “A Christmas Story.” My annual winter reading list consisted, at various times, of several young adult novels about Christmas Pageants gone awry, as well as assorted Little House on the Prairie books, which always had vivid descriptions of holiday celebrations. There was also A Lantern in her Hand, by Bess Streeter Aldrich, a … Continue reading Happy Holidays!