A Lethal Dose of Trivia New this month from the University of Nebraska Press, Violent Affect: Literature, Cinema, and Critique after Representation by Marco Abel presents a radical new theory on the affect of violence in literature and cinema: that violence is all-pervasive by ontological necessity. To prove this theory, Abel analyzes literary and cinematic works such as those by Don DeLillo, Bret Easton Ellis, Mary Harron, Patricia Highsmith, the Coen Brothers, and Robert DeNiro. As a nod to Abel’s chilling work, today’s “Tuesday Trivia” focuses on violence and literature. Careful—these questions are murderously difficult. Match the quote on violence … Continue reading Tuesday Trivia: January 22, 2008

Good Neighbors, Bad Times: Echoes of My Father’s German Village by Mimi Schwartz “[A]n eloquent and affectionate account. . . . Schwartz’s tone is gentle, her prose brilliantly clear and her insights keen.”—Kirkus Reviews “A fascinating picture, atypical of so much written on the subject. Blessed with good antennae and a skeptical mind, Ms. Schwartz is not an innocent abroad. Never gullible or credulous, but open to the evidence of her own eyes and ears, she is an ideal guide to her father’s lost world, which for so long she resisted. . . . It is a measure of her … Continue reading Praise for Good Neighbors, Bad Times

In Praise of Flattery by Willis Goth Regier “[A]n elegant analysis.”—Wall Street Journal Read earlier praise for In Praise of Flattery at http://nebraskapress.typepad.com/university_of_nebraska_pr/2007/11/praise-for-in-p.html. Continue reading More Praise for In Praise of Flattery

Taking Assimilation to Heart: Marriages of White Women and Indigenous Men in the United States and Australia, 1887-1937 by Katherine Ellinghaus “[A] fascinating account . . . . [A] meaningful contribution to our understandings of the histories of colonialism and, in particular, of how the processes of colonialism produced similar power relations across many different times and places.”—Lilith Continue reading Praise for Taking Assimilation to Heart

The Complete Letters of Henry James, 1855-1872: Volumes I and II edited by Pierre Walker and Greg Zacharias “[This] collected edition of James’s letters was needed. . . . These two volumes . . . . throw much light on [Henry James’] relationship with his family and his country of birth while at the same time helping us towards some understanding of his health problems, such as they were. Some of the letters from Italy are small masterpieces of description; they are alert and sensitive and full of astute judgments. Sometimes, too, James is funny, irreverent and outspoken.”—Colm Tóibín, London … Continue reading More Praise for The Complete Letters of Henry James

Sacred Harp singing, the topic of a forthcoming book from the University of Nebraska Press entitled A Sacred Feast: Reflections on Sacred Harp Singing and Dinner on the Ground by Kathryn Eastburn (available April 2008), was the subject of a feature in Time Magazine yesterday. Click here for the full text of the Time article and stay tuned for the publication of A Sacred Feast this April! Continue reading Sacred Harp Singing Featured in Time Magazine

University of Nebraska Press author Mike Barenti kayaked nine hundred miles along the Columbia and its tributaries during the summer of 2001 and wrote a book about his journey entitled Kayaking Alone: Nine Hundred Miles from Idaho’s Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. Along the way, he got an up-close-and-personal view of the endangered salmon issue. Now, nearly seven years later, people in the Pacific Northwest and all over the country are still talking about the fate of the salmon. While politicians continue to play “bait and switch,” little has been done to reach a consensus on what should and can … Continue reading UNP Author Blog: To Save or Not to Save the Columbia River Salmon

Shiloh: A Battlefield Guide by Mark Grimsley and Steven E. Woodworth “[I]ncludes several wonderful illustrations and helpful maps to compliment the written portions. . . . [A] fine example of scholarship intended for a more general audience. . . . [A] wonderful resource for understanding the Battle of Shiloh and for touring the park. It provides a large amount of information in a small package. This book is a necessary tool for having a successful tour of the battlefield and a wonderful resource on the battle for all audiences, including professional historians, military officers, and general readers.”—On Point Continue reading Praise for Shiloh

Connie Mack and the Early Years of Baseball by Norman L. Macht “[R]ichly enjoyable.”—The Roanoke Times To read previous praise for Connie Mack and the Early Years of Baseball, please visit http://nebraskapress.typepad.com/university_of_nebraska_pr/2007/07/praise-for-conn.html. Continue reading More Praise for Connie Mack and the Early Years of Baseball