The Enigma Woman:The Death Sentence of Nellie May Madison by Kathleen A. Cairns “By charting Madison’s experiences from the 1910s to the 1940s, Cairns offers critical insight on the deeds and misdeeds of one remarkable woman, who in many regards was a victim herself. By framing events the way she does, Cairns gives Madison’s story the context it needs and deserves.”—Christina Eng, San Francisco Chronicle Read previous praise for The Enigma Woman Continue reading More Praise for The Enigma Woman

What Becomes You by Aaron Raz Link and Hilda Raz “What Becomes You is the best memoir I’ve read in a decade. It is close to the bone, poetic without an ounce of sentimentality, full of humor and humanity, and excruciating in its self-examination. . . . This book is what happens when two extraordinary writers share intimate tales of self-discovery in prose that’s both exquisite and accessible.”—Glenn Scofield Williams, JustOut Read earlier reviews for What Becomes You Continue reading More Praise for What Becomes You

Branch Rickey: Baseball’s Ferocious Gentleman by Lee Lowenfish “It’s an impressive achievement in historical reporting on a unique character and will serve scholars for decades to come.” —Neil Best, Newsday Read previous praise for Branch Rickey Continue reading More Praise for Branch Rickey

Bigger Than Life: A Murder, A Memoir, is a result of Dinah Lenney’s reassessment of her life when her father, Nelson Gross, was found dead.  The book is a coming-of-age story for Dinah as well as a contemplation on loss.  Dinah Lenney appeared on the Gregory Mantell Show in April.  Below is an excerpt of the show where Dinah discusses the chain of events after learning her father–Nelson Gross–was missing.  You can learn more about the writer and actor Dinah Lenney on her website. Continue reading Dinah Lenney on the Gregory Mantell Show

Author Dinah Lenney reads from her memoir Bigger Than Life: A Murder, a Memoir at the Writers’ Program Publication Party.  The cast is made possible by the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program.  And, if you like today’s cast, be sure to come back tomorrow to view an interview with Dinah on The Gregory Mantell Show.  We linked to the show before, but why send you away when you can watch it here? Enjoy! Download ucla-dinah-lenney.mp3 Continue reading Dinah Lenney at the UCLA Extension Pub Party

Just Breathe Normally by Peggy Shumaker “Shumaker displays a rare gift. . . . [H]er scattered memories come together to form a riveting and exceptionally touching story. . . . An entrancing meditation on absolution and memory.”—Kirkus Reviews “Painful healing from a freak bicycle accident burns at the heart of this collection of lyrical anecdotes. . . . Shumaker’s prose possesses throughout a limpid serenity.” —Publishers Weekly “Shumaker, a poet, has a haunting, lyrical quality to her writing. The words flow and tumble down the page. . . . Reading about pain and loss and fear can be almost as … Continue reading Praise for Just Breathe Normally

The Year the Stars Fell: Lakota Winter Counts at the SmithsonianEdited by Candace S. Greene and Russell Thornton “The scholarly analysis is very readable. . . . Don’t miss the elegant simplicity of these artist/historian winter counts.”—True West “In this wonderful book, readers are presented with more than 900 individual pictographs signifying several centuries of tribal knowledge. . . . Taken together, these fascinating images provide an alternative history of the American West as written by those who were there in the beginning and remain there now. Like the Bayeux Tapestry—the embroidered cloth that preserves a visual history of the … Continue reading Praise for The Year the Stars Fell

The Big Empty: Contemporary Nebraska Nonfiction WritersEdited by Ladette Randolph and Nina Shevchuk-Murray “These essays are springs from which flows our collective identity. . . . Read The Big Empty slowly. Savor the depth of thought, the breadth of subjects, the richness of language. Distance surrounds us, and these Nebraska writers, ‘who pass through it with open eyes,’ as Ron Block says, open ours.”—Linda Read Deeds, Nebraska Life Read earlier praise for The Big Empty Continue reading Praise for The Big Empty