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Two mine disasters, six decades apart

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News of the mine explosion in Montcoal, West Virginia has dominated headlines all week. The explosion was on Monday. Four days later, several men trapped in the mine at the time of the explosion are still unaccounted for. UNP author Susan Resnick has been following the news of the disaster, rescue efforts, and stories of the victims and their families especially closely. Resnick is the author of Goodbye Wifes and Daughters, published in March, which tells the story of another mine disaster, in Bearcreek, Montana, in 1943. Seventy five miners died as a result of the explosion in Bearcreek’s Smith … Continue reading Two mine disasters, six decades apart

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Former Cherokee Chief Wilma Mankiller dies at 64

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  Wilma Mankiller was known for her contributions as first female Chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1985 to 1995. During her tenure she was able to triple Cherokee enrollment and build health care and educational resources for the tribe. From an interview with Terry Gross on Fresh Air, Gross said Mankiller's life "embodies many of the changes and continuing traditions of contemporary Native American culture…. Mankiller describes her job as 'part head of a small country, part CEO of a corporation, and part social worker.'" Mankiller is profiled in two University of Nebraska Press books, Red Power: The American Indians' Fight for Freedom, Second Edition  … Continue reading Former Cherokee Chief Wilma Mankiller dies at 64

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Off the Shelf: Things Seen by Annie Ernaux

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Things Seen cover image Read from "1993" in Things Seen by Annie Ernaux, translated by Jonathan Kaplansky, foreword by Brian Evenson:

"April 8

Condominium meeting. People talk about staircases, basements, etc. Every issue tackled becomes an opportunity for people to show their knowledge, “we need to install meters at such and such a place,” to tell an anecdote “in the building where I lived before,” a story “the other day, the tenant on the fifth floor.” Stories are a need to exist.

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Review roundup

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The first topic of today’s news: those of you who subscribe to Wine Spectator (online content is available to subscribers only) should check out the story devoted to three new books about wine. Among these books – Barolo, by Matthew Gavin Frank, which will be published next month by the University of Nebraska Press.  Barolo is the account of Frank’s time spent in Italy – picking grapes, eating wonderful food, drinking wonderful wine, and soaking up as much as he could on the process of wine making. Wine Spectator’s reviewer said that the three books “bring an alluring culture to … Continue reading Review roundup

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Off the Shelf: In the Neighborhood of Zero by William V. Spanos

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In the Neighborhood of Zero cover image 
Read the beginning of Chapter 2, "Captivity" from In the Neighborhood of Zero: A World War II Memoir by William V. Spanos:

"After a rough crossing of the English Channel, the 106th Division arrived at the battered seaport of Le Havre, a city that had been virtually leveled during the Normandy invasion, where a convoy of U.S. Army trucks, “The Red Ball Express,” was waiting to transport us to our destination. During the crossing our officers had informed us that we were being assigned to an area in the Ardennes Forest, specifically a mountain area called the Schnee Eiffel, west of the village of St. Vith in Belgium near the Luxembourg border. We were, they said, going to replace the 2nd (“American”) Division, a renowned unit, desperately in need of respite, having been in combat since the invasion of Italy in September 1943. Although the ground we were to take over from the 2nd was on the front lines separating the Allies from the German forces, it was, we were relieved to hear, an inactive zone, providing the perfect conditions for easing a raw and inexperienced division into combat action.

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Off the Shelf: American Lives edited by Alicia Christensen

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American Lives Reader cover imageRead from "Long Live the Red Terror!" by Fan Shen, from American Lives: A Reader edited by Alicia Christensen:

"Chairman Mao, the Great Leader, officially launched the Cultural Revolution in his May 17 proclamation in the People’s Daily, calling for the masses to smash the five-thousand-year-old Chinese culture and to rid the country of any foreign influence, in order to build a brand new communist culture. “Power to the Red Guards!” said the Great Leader. “Expose and destroy the hidden enemies who have been sleeping among your ranks!” ordered the Great Leader. Overnight, people young and old all rose at the summons of the Great Leader. After the giant bonfire, the fire of the Revolution spread fast and wide throughout the Big Courtyard.

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UNP author wins Bancroft Prize! Plus, a great interview with the authors of Rooney and an AWP preview

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day, University of Nebraska Press readers! Lots of things happening at the University of Nebraska Press today: First, the big news: Margaret Jacobs, author 2009 UNP title White Mother to a Dark Race has won the 2010 Bancroft Prize, widely considered among the most prestigious awards for history. In White Mother to a Dark Race, Jacobs writes about the forced removal of indigenous children from their families and their assimilation into American and Australian culture. In both countries, white women played large roles in the removal and assimilation process – they served as teachers in boarding schools, … Continue reading UNP author wins Bancroft Prize! Plus, a great interview with the authors of Rooney and an AWP preview

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Off the Shelf: Rooney by Rob Ruck, Maggie Jones Patterson, and Michael P. Weber

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Rooney cover image Read from the Introduction of Rooney: A Sporting Life by Rob Ruck, Maggie Jones Patterson, and Michael P. Weber:

"As writers in the press box composed their epitaphs for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Art Rooney stood and headed to the elevator. Pittsburgh had won its first division title in forty years that season, but Rooney’s Steelers were losing 7–6, and only 22 seconds remained in their playoff game against the Oakland Raiders. Facing fourth-and-ten from their own 40 yard line, they needed to gain 25 yards to get within field goal range. Pirates announcer Bob Prince held the elevator door for Art, two priests, and a friend. Art said nothing as the elevator slowly descended. “I figured we had lost,” he later explained, “and I wanted to get to the locker room early so I could personally thank the players for the fine job they’d done all season.”

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National Jewish Book Award

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Last night was the ceremony honoring the winner’s of this year’s National Jewish Book Awards, sponsored by the Jewish Book Council. The University of Nebraska Press is honored that one of our books was among the winning titles. The Holocaust in the Soviet Union, by Yitzhak Arad, translated by Ora Cummings, and published by the University of Nebraska Press and Yad Vashem, won in the writing based on archival materials category. To tell this story, Arad studied documents from a number of sources, many of which had been previously unavailable to scholars, and uncovered a world where Jews were treated even … Continue reading National Jewish Book Award