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The National Parks and the University of Nebraska Press

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The latest Ken Burns Documentary, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea is on PBS stations everywhere this fall. Critics have praised the beautiful camera work and the thorough history this series tells (of the National Parks' founding fathers, of course, but also of the Native groups displaced, of mysterious deaths, of interesting visitors and more). Some of the stories told in this series are also stories told in books published by the University of Nebraska Press. And many of these stories are on sale, through the month of November. The National Parks co-producer Dayton Duncan is the author of several … Continue reading The National Parks and the University of Nebraska Press

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Work from Terese Svoboda to be features on CellStories

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Short stories, while not as popular in form as novels, are, in a lot of ways, more convenient. They’re short. It’s easy to read an entire story in a single sitting. Even if that sitting is at a computer, or an iPod. Writer/editor/teacher Dan Sinker has begun a project called CellStories, in which he’s posting a short story a day at http://cellstories.net/. The reason, according to the Web site: “Because we still think the best place for something wonderful to read is in the palm of your hand and, when you combine the amazing technology of modern web-enabled phones and … Continue reading Work from Terese Svoboda to be features on CellStories

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Off the Shelf: Forever Red by Steve Smith

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Forever Red cover image Read from "At Last: Nebraska 24-Miami 17-January 1, 1995" in Forever Red: Confessions of a Cornhusker Football Fan by Steve Smith:

"But in a stirring string of events, Nebraska found itself at the Miami 15, and seconds later, Frazier put the ball in fullback Cory Schlesinger’s hands. No. 40 slipped past the line, leaped over a Hurricane at the 5, and remarkably, bounded into the end zone. Then Frazier fired a bullet to Eric Alford for 2 points, and the game was tied. At some point during all of this, I turned to Michael. He was looking at me, holding up four fingers. Then he asked: “Do you believe?”

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Huskers (and UNP authors) in the news

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The Nebraska Cornhuskers will play the Louisiana-Lafayette in a sold-out stadium this Saturday. It will be the 300th consecutive sellout at Memorial Stadium. Anyone who knows Nebraska football knows that the consistent sellout crowds are an important part of the game day atmosphere. There’s a certain feeling of privilege that comes with scoring tickets, and there’s a certain feeling of camaraderie that comes with being part of an enormous, enthusiastic crowd. University of Nebraska Press author Steve Smith talked to 10/11 News about the significance of 300 consecutive sellouts, as well as the significance of Husker Football to fans across … Continue reading Huskers (and UNP authors) in the news

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Off the Shelf: Ambassadors from Earth by Jay Gallentine

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Gallentine Read from Chapter 1, "Aboard the Glacier" in Ambassadors from Earth: Pioneering Explorations with Unmanned Spacecraft by Jay Gallentine:

"Larry Cahill sardined himself into the communication shack with James Van Allen, who had headphones popped over his ears. It was quite hot and late at night. Both were thankful that they could be near the top of the ship, because that was farthest from the blistering engine room.

“Well, I wonder if that could really be it,” Van Allen said to nobody in particular. There was this inexplicably goofy beep-beeping sound in the headset. Something didn’t add up here. He glanced around. On the assembled faces were looks of confusion, like something didn’t fit. Like a game of Clue—everybody knew it couldn’t be Colonel Mustard with the rope, but all the evidence said otherwise.

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Tonight’s the night! Ted Kooser to sign copies of his new book in Omaha

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It's finally here! The University of Nebraska Press and Ted Kooser will celebrate the launch of his new book, Lights on a Ground of Darkness, tonight at the W. Dale Clark Library, 215 S. 15th St. in Downtown Omaha tonight at 7 p.m. Lights on a Ground of Darkness is a remembrance (written as prose, instead of poetry) of the time Kooser spent with his mother’s family in Guttenberg, Iowa, when he was a little boy. The event is free and open to the public, books will be for sale, and Ted will sign copies. And, if you missed it, Ted appeared … Continue reading Tonight’s the night! Ted Kooser to sign copies of his new book in Omaha

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Little Pancho at the U.S. Open

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Pancho Segura – the subject of UNP biography Little Pancho: The Life of Tennis Legend Pancho Segura – signed copies of his book at the U.S. Open this weekend, and the UNP has photographs of the player famous for his backhand, speed, work ethic and charm mingling with fans. Caroline Seebohm, author of Little Pancho, is pictured next to him. You can view the album here. In other news, UNP baseball titles are on sale through September. Some, like Chief Bender's Burden and Alexander Cartwright tell the stories of facinating characters who impacted the game. Others, like Center Field Shot, explain … Continue reading Little Pancho at the U.S. Open

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Ted Kooser on Writer’s Almanac

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A poem of Ted Kooser’s was featured on A Writer’s Almanac with Garrison Keillor this morning. The poem, "Splitting an Order," was originally collected in Valentines, published by the University of Nebraska Press in 2008. The poem begins: I like to watch an old man cutting a sandwich in half,maybe an ordinary cold roast beef on whole wheat bread,no pickles or onion, keeping his shaky hands steadyby placing his forearms firm on the edge of the table The full poem is on the Writer’s Almanac Web site (as is today’s writer-themed this-day-in-history post, about Ernest Hemingway.) So are lots of other beautiful poems, … Continue reading Ted Kooser on Writer’s Almanac

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Off the Shelf: Dream of Reason by Rosa Chacel

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Chacel Read from Dream of Reason byRosa Chacel, translated by Carol Maier:

"In the spring of 1932 about two years had passed since I returned from Europe. My absence had lasted almost as long as my entire life—when I left Buenos Aires I was only a few months old. Even so, even though that period was not clear in my mind, the idea that I had been here was always with me. The idea? Why not the memory? A memory is passed on, inherited, adopted. Yes, I always remembered having been here and always felt certain I would return. I knew I’d return to the city and the house where I’d been born, knew what the furniture was like in that house, and everything I did when I was very young—the trips and studies—was something I started so as to have it done with before I returned. Then once I was here, it was a question of recovering things, not of becoming acquainted with them.

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UNP, the U.S. Open, and a book signing

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Pancho Segura will sign copies of his biography,Little Pancho: The Life of Tennis Legend Pancho Segura today at the U.S. Open. The University of Nebraska Press published Little Pancho, written by Caroline Seebohm, earlier this year. Pancho Segura has lived the life that feel-good sports movies are made of. He was born to a poor Ecuadorian family and was malnourished and sickly as a child. However, his father was a caretaker at a tennis club, so he was exposed to the sport early in his life. And even though he small  and weak, he took to the sport right away. … Continue reading UNP, the U.S. Open, and a book signing