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Searching for Tamsen Donner in the L.A. Times

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One hundred sixty three years ago this May 12, the Donner Party left Independence, Mo., and set out toward California. I imagine that this time of year 163 years ago, the members of the Donner Party were already busily making preparations for the journey they expected would last just four months. And contrary to popular belief, the Donners were prepared for that trip. They had all the necessary staples – loads of food, good, sturdy transportation, warm clothes. Tamsen Donner, wife of party leader George Donner and the subject of Gabrielle Burton’s new book Searching for Tamsen Donner, also brought … Continue reading Searching for Tamsen Donner in the L.A. Times

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Your Monday morning dose of March Madness

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Today's excerpt from the blog of Alan Zaremba, author of The Madness of March: Bonding and Betting with the Boys in Las Vegas: On several occasions in the book I mention how people I have met in Las Vegas have come for March Madness annually for many years. On Saturday I watched nearly all of the games with terrific viewing companions from Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. I found out that four of the thousands who were in Las Vegas for the games this weekend were two father and son tandems. A brother and brother-in law and their respective dads … Continue reading Your Monday morning dose of March Madness

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Today’s excerpt from Alan’s blog

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(For the uninitiated, we're posting excerpts from Alan Zaremba's blog each day — Alan is the author of The Madness of March: Bonding and Betting with the Boys in Las Vegas, which is new this month from the University of Nebraska Press). Alan's fully immersed in March Madness mania now. Behold: Today I met a person who had come to Las Vegas for 36 years. There was a father and son team from St. Louis where the son was likely in his mid forties. The mean age seemed to me to be no less than mid 30s. As I have … Continue reading Today’s excerpt from Alan’s blog

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Spring is here and so is Abbott Sisters Day

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Today is the first day of spring. And today is also Abbott Sisters Day, which celebrates the accomplishments of social reformers and Grand Island natives Grace and Edith Abbott. Both sisters fought for better treatment of children, women, immigrants and the poor. They did much of their work in Chicago, but their ties to Nebraska remain strong; upon her death in 1957 Edith left most of her estate to the Grand Island Public Library, which is now named for her. Last year, The University of Nebraska Press published The Grace Abbott Reader, which is a collection of some of Grace … Continue reading Spring is here and so is Abbott Sisters Day

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More March Madness (what else did you expect from the publishers of The Madness of March?)

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We here at the University of Nebraska Press celebrated opening day of March Madness with a little party including such basketball staples as brackets, a free throw contest, and little smokies. And let it be known that we’re in good company:   This, for those of you who don’t recognize it, is President Obama’s bracket. Go Louisville!As our regular readers know, UNP author Alan Zaremba (The Madness of March: Bonding and Betting with the Boys in Las Vegas) is in Vegas, watching the games and blogging up a storm. Here’s an excerpt from a post from last night: …When Duquesne … Continue reading More March Madness (what else did you expect from the publishers of The Madness of March?)

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The first of several excerpted March Madness blogs, and a sneak preview of what’s to come

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Alan Zaremba, author of The Madness of March: Bonding and Betting with the Boys in Las Vegas, is in Las Vegas as I write this. He’s keeping his own blog through the weekend, and I’ll be pulling stuff from his blog and posting it here, because he writes a mean running commentary on the chaos that is March Madness in Las Vegas. Here’s a post from last night: I am back in Las Vegas for March Madness, having arrived last night, March 17th, to the quiet rustic country sounds of Las Vegas. Not. I imagine that St. Patrick's Day is … Continue reading The first of several excerpted March Madness blogs, and a sneak preview of what’s to come

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A Pushcart Prize and countdown to March Madness

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Alan Zaremba is en route to Las Vegas today, in preparation for March Madness. We here at the University of Nebraska Press are filling out our brackets. Also, be sure to check Alan’s blog (and ours) on Friday – the least productive work day of the year – for lots of March Madness coverage. Moving on, one of our authors has won a Pushcart Prize. Mimi Schwartz won for her essay “Telling the Truth that Matters,” which was published in Arts & Letters in the fall of 2008. Congrats to Mimi, who has had a good … Continue reading A Pushcart Prize and countdown to March Madness

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Play Begins on March 19 – Who are your picks?

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College hoops fans had an exciting weekend as ‘Selection Sunday’ filled in the remaining slots of the 2009 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Bracket. I don’t know about you, but I am excited to enter my fav picks and participate in the fun banter and bragging rights amongst my fellow friends and colleagues. March Madness and fan culture expert Alan Jay Zaremba knows this all too well as he spent the first weekend of March Madness 2007 in Las Vegas, hopping from sports book to sports book to watch as many of the basketball games as possible, place some bets, and … Continue reading Play Begins on March 19 – Who are your picks?

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Off the Shelf: The Madness of March: Bonding and Betting with the Boys in Las Vegas by Alan Jay Zaremba

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Madness of March cover image Read "Twenty-Four-Hour Happy Hour" from The Madness of March: Bonding and Betting with the Boys in Las Vegas by Alan Jay Zaremba:

"It is the morning of the first day of the tournament. I wake early, shower, dress, and prepare for the madness that I know awaits me. Before I leave my hotel room I gather what I’ll need as I travel through the day. I collect casino betting line sheets, a section of the New York Daily News that includes a description of each of the sixty-four teams in the tournament, some pens, and two small yellow notepads. It’s 6:30 when I exit the room and walk toward the bank of elevators.

Continue reading “Off the Shelf: The Madness of March: Bonding and Betting with the Boys in Las Vegas by Alan Jay Zaremba”