Authors Sonya Huber and Mimi Schwartz both penned fascinating creative nonfiction works newly published by the University of Nebraska Press. Huber’s is a memoir and recreated family history that tells a layered story of an overlooked history of socialism in Germany before and after Nazism entitled Opa Nobody. Schwartz’s memoir, Good Neighbors, Bad Times, focuses on recovering the Nazi-era history of her father’s German village where Jews’ and Christians’ claims of congeniality were often proved true. Both women faced a number of challenges in writing non-fiction accounts of the lives of others. How does a creative writer do justice to … Continue reading Authors Reflect on the Challenges of Writing About Others

Links to the Past New this month from the University of Nebraska Press, Good Neighbors, Bad Times: Echoes of My Father’s German Village by Mimi Schwartz tells the tale of the author’s twelve-year quest to determine whether her father’s stories of neighborly harmony in his pre-Hitler German village were true or merely a product of selective memory. In traveling to his village, Schwartz attempts to piece together bits of history, speaking with those who lived through the Nazi era, to obtain a clear picture of how her father’s "neighbors" were able to cope with the hatred and fear that were … Continue reading Linking in Lincoln: March 13, 2008

Attention Yakima, Washington-area bloggers! Tune in to KIT Radio 1280-AM on Monday, March 17th at 7:40 AM to listen to an on-air interview with Kayaking Alone author Mike Barenti. You’ll hear all about the author’s awe-inspiring and thought-provoking solo journey along the Columbia River and its tributaries, from the Idaho mountains to the Pacific Ocean, as well as the environmental issues surrounding the salmon population in the Northwest. Don’t miss it! Continue reading Yacking in Yakima: Radio Interview with Mike Barenti

Pulp Writer: Twenty Years in the American Grub Streetby Paul S. Powers, edited by Laurie Powers “[Powers] penned this intriguing biography 40 years ago, but it remained unpublished until his granddaughter unearthed it in a closet and brought it to light, with her own biographical commentaries and research on the pulp fiction phenomenon. This is an extraordinary story.”—Margaret Guerrero, Southwest Books of the Year To read earlier praise for Pulp Writer, please visit http://nebraskapress.typepad.com/university_of_nebraska_pr/2007/04/praise_for_pulp.html. Continue reading Pulp Praise: Continued Acclaim for Pulp Writer

Branch Rickey: Baseball’s Ferocious Gentleman by Lee Lowenfish “[A] thoroughly researched, engrossing biography. . . . Lowenfish has illuminated one man’s life. In doing so, he reveals much about 20th century America.”—Jewish Book World For more praise for Branch Rickey, visit http://nebraskapress.typepad.com/university_of_nebraska_pr/2007/02/praise_for_bran.html. Continue reading Branch-ing Out: Continued Praise for Branch Rickey

Daryl Farmer, author of Bicycling beyond the Divide, has been featured on the ForeWord Magazine Web site. Check out his interview here. Continue reading Farmer on ForeWord.com

Rituals and Rites New this month from the University of Nebraska Press is Empowerment of North American Indian Girls by Carol A. Markstrom. A developmental psychologist, Markstrom analyzes indigenous anthropological literature and chronicle the coming-of-age rituals for four Native American communities: the Apache, Navajo, Lakota, and Ojibwa.  For this week’s Tuesday Trivia, we will survey the world from the comfort of our own computers. Donning our anthropological overcoats, we will test our knowledge of female coming-of-age rituals and traditions from various cultures around the globe. See if you can match the country or religion with its tradition. 1. Judaism2. Africa/Asia/Middle … Continue reading Tuesday Trivia: March 11, 2008

Nez Perce Country by Alvin M. Josephy “Particularly poignant are the accounts of how tribal leaders were divided during treaty negotiations. . . . By contextualizing Chief Joseph properly, Josephy illuminates other Nez Perce leaders whose efforts have been largely ignored. . . . The introduction by Jeremy FiveCrows vibrantly brings the Nez Perce story to the present.”—John Burch, Library Journal Read previous praise for Nez Perce Country at http://nebraskapress.typepad.com/university_of_nebraska_pr/2007/11/praise-for-nez.html. Continue reading More Praise for Nez Perce Country

Hard Air: Adventures from the Edge of Flying by W. Scott Olsen “His narrative is reminiscent in tone of Beryl Markham’s early African aviation adventures chronicled in West with the Night. . . . Olsen . . . does a good job of capturing, in a journalistic interview style, the experiences of the men and women who routinely fly these adventurous missions. The stories are good enough to inspire future pilots.”—Sara Tompson, Library Journal “It’s hard to imagine a more gripping book for aviation buffs than Olsen’s depiction of some of the hairier aspects of service networks usually taken for … Continue reading Praise for Hard Air