Before I begin, I’ll like to give a shout out to some folks from Lincoln, Nebraska. People who know me know that I am NOT a bike rider.  Well, I ride the stationary bike at the gym, but I haven’t been on a bike for about a year (one year and ten days, to be precise), since I broke my leg on my bike.  Since then, my stomach sinks every time I walk by my bike in our little apartment. Regardless of painful memories, I like the idea of riding bikes.  And I encourage bike riding.  But I must admit … Continue reading I Like to Ride My Bicycle

The spring 2008 forecast for new essays, memoirs and other works of creative nonfiction by Cornhusker State authors looks to be unparalleled, especially for readers with an affinity and a passion for writing about the Midwest as a place and space to be savored and celebrated. Not only does Not Just Any Land (UNP, 2004) author John Price have a new book due out, but so too does Nebraska’s preeminent essayist Lisa Knopp. Her latest collection, Interior Places, will be published in March by the University of Nebraska Press / Bison Books. If you’ve read any of Knopp’s previous books—The … Continue reading Nebraska to publish Knopp’s newest collection, Interior Places

Into that Silent Sea: Trailblazers of the Space Era, 1961-1965 by Francis French and Colin Burgess “[An] eminently readable, well-crafted contribution to the burgeoning genre of first-person accounts and popular histories of space explorers. . . . The merits of this popular history rest in the elegant narrative and the authors’ thoughtful awareness of the space explorer genre.”—Air & Space Smithsonian Read more praise for Into that Silent Sea. Continue reading More Praise for Into That Silent Sea

In the Shadow of the Moon: A Challenging Journey to Tranquility, 1965-1969 by Francis French and Colin Burgess “There’s a wealth of information and insights about the people and missions in each chapter, at least for those who haven’t immersed themselves in space history.”—Jeff Foust, The Space Review.com “There are already a huge number of books about the ‘Space Race.’ Refreshingly, this new book is not just about the race – it is about the runners.” —Mike Myer, space enthusiast, CollectSPACE Online Forum Read earlier praise for In the Shadow of the Moon Continue reading More Praise for In the Shadow of the Moon

Tomboy by Nina Bouraoui translated from the French by Marjorie Attignol Salvodon and Jehanne-Marie Gavarini “Bouraoui’s quiet and inwardly focused coming-of-age novel delves deeply into intimate questions of self-definition—and ultimately the urge to become a writer.”—Publishers Weekly “Reminiscent of Marguerite Duras’ The Lover, Bouraoui’s phrasing and pace are bold and naïve at the same time, much like a teenage girl. . . . Translators Marjorie Attignol Salvodon and Jehanne-Marie Gavarini have done a superb job of making Nina’s voice ring authentically high and low, shrill and profound. A beautiful and moving book, Tomboy is entirely worthy of its comparison to … Continue reading Praise for Tomboy

Starred ReviewThe Living by Pascale Kramertranslated from the French by Tamsin Black “Swiss novelist Kramer’s first work to be translated into English is the Prix Lipp-winning, brutally forthright take on a family unraveling after the accidental death of two young siblings. . . . Kramer’s sensuous, close observation casts a hypnotic spell on the narrative, leaving the reader unable to put it down until the last word.”—Publishers Weekly “Pascale Kramer’s riveting page-turner, The Living (translated by Tamsin Black) reveals the ways that lives can change in a matter of seconds.”—Tina Jordan, Entertainment Weekly “Swiss author Pascale Kramer’s novel The Living, … Continue reading Praise for The Living

Lighthouse at the End of the World by Jules Verne, translated from the French and edited by William Butcher. “Lighthouse at the End of the World might be best read under the covers, after bedtime, by flashlight. It is a wondrous, old-fashioned adventure story, likely to bring out the little boy, the castaway, the pirate and the lighthouse-keeper in every reader.”—Susan Salter Reynolds, Los Angeles Times Book Review Read earlier praise for Lighthouse at the End of the World Continue reading More Praise for Lighthouse at the End of the World

In the Shadow of the Moon: A Challenging Journey to Tranquility, 1965-1969 by Francis French and Colin Burgess “Authors Burgess and French are even-handed and equitable, and have done an excellent job in covering a vast expanse of material. . . . The opportunity to get the true stories from the astronauts themselves is a luxury that will sadly not be available forever, and In the Shadow of the Moon has done an excellent job in gathering and eliciting the stories of these men, not just the ‘official reports,’ but the personal touches that render them more human. . . … Continue reading More Praise for In the Shadow of the Moon

I must admit that I was pretty excited to see that we’re doing a new edition of Green Plans: Blueprint for a Sustainable Earth.  This edition won’t be available until Spring, 2008, but here’s some praise for the earlier editions: "As we strive to implement sustainable development, we must share experience of how green plans can work, as Huey D. Johnson has done here. Green Plans is a necessary book that many of us need to read."—Gro Harlem Brundtland, Prime Minister of Norway "This book is quite informative. It would be useful for anyone seeking (detailed) knowledge about designing a … Continue reading Looking Forward to Things Green

by Joel Denker “I love Jewish food, but when you eat it,seventy-two hours later, you’re hungry again.” This line, from the late New York Times writer Richard Shepard, mirthfully conveys the Jewish food experience, which I recount in my book, The World on a Plate: A Tour Through the History of America’s Ethnic Cuisine. This tradition is steeped in the “heartburn of nostalgia.” For me, learning about Jewish cooking gave me an insight into my father’s past. My father, reared in Brownsville and the first in his family to go to college, was enthralled with the culinary monuments in mid-town … Continue reading Behind the Food