When Samira Bellil died at the age of 31, of stomach cancer, she had already lived a horrific life, experienced violence, and stood up for herself in a way that shocked the world. She spoke out against both of the violent gang rapes she had endured, she prosecuted the attackers in a French legal system that was indifferent to her at best, and alienated her family and culture in the process. New this month from the University of Nebraska Press is, To Hell and Back: The Life of Samira … Continue reading Linking in Lincoln: August 20, 2008

    New this month from the University of Nebraska Press is The Plain Sense of Things by Pamela Carter Joern.  Her long awaited second novel tells the story of three generations of a Nebraskan family dealing with love, World War II, and the loss of a failing farm.  With a sharp, clean prose these stories “illuminate the resilience and dignity- and the subtle sweetness- of a life lived in clear view of a plain sense of things.”     This week Tuesday Trivia will play with the idea of senses and quiz you on the most common (though not … Continue reading Tuesday Trivia: August 19, 2008

The Summer Olympics are officially in full swing and excitement doesn’t seem to be in short supply. The United States is off to a great start; only China has won more gold medals at this point, but the U.S. isn’t behind by much. Another competition that is heating up is the presidential election. The race seems to be getting more and more media coverage everyday; it has become such a media frenzy that even Paris Hilton is using the election as a way to get publicity! The race to the White House couldn’t be between more different people; it will … Continue reading This Week in History: August 11-15, 2008

New this month from the University of Nebraska Press, is Corkscrewed: Adventures in the New French Wine Country, by Robert V. Camuto. Recounting how his interest in wine became a full blown passion after he moved to France, Camuto chronicles his journey through the world of great wine. From harvesting grapes to an innovative generation of biodynamic winemakers, this book is a “celebration of diversity that makes French wine more than a mere commodity.” This week Linking in Lincoln will celebrate all things wine with a few links, from us to you, taken from the good ole world wide web! … Continue reading Lincoln in Linking: August 14, 2008

      Well with the Olympics in full swing, I can think of no better time to introduce UNP’s newest book, The Global Game edited by John Turnbull, Thom Satterlee, and Alon Raab.  Since soccer is the world’s most popular sport, these editors have compiled the “literary efforts” of writers around the globe to celebrate the “universal and infinitely varied ways in which soccer connects with the human experience”. This week Tuesday Trivia will join in the celebration and quiz you on all things Futbol!! 1)    The first set of rules for soccer was developed by the London … Continue reading Tuesday Trivia: August 11, 2008

This Week in History: August 4 – 8, 2008Well, August is officially here, and let me tell you we are sure feeling the heat here in Nebraska!  Hopefully the weather in China is a little milder because this week the summer Olympics officially begin in Beijing where over 10,000 athletes from around the world will be competing. It seems like the Olympics get bigger and bigger all the time! Did you know that even though the Olympics can be traced back to ancient Greece the modern Olympics didn’t begin until 1859? Just a little fun fact I thought I’d share. … Continue reading This Week in History: August 4-8, 2008

Women’s Work The origins of “Wonderful Words of Life” in The Plain Sense of Things by Pamela Carter Joern                                Several years ago I sat with my mother and my Aunt Fern at Fern’s kitchen table. We drank tea and ate oatmeal cookies. Fern was my father’s sister, and though she and my mother lived in the same town until Fern died, they were different people. Fern loved opera which my mother considered overly highbrow. Fern was a staunch Democrat, while the only Democrat my mother ever voted for was … Continue reading Author Guest Blog: Pamela Carter Joern

New this month from the University of Nebraska Press, is Beyond a Common Joy: An introduction to Shakespearean Comedy by Paul A. Olsen. In this very engaging and persuasive take on Shakespeare’s comic transcendence, Olsen shows how he took from the great themes of his day and molded them into a literary form “on par with epic and tragedy”. This week our Links will pay homage to this great playwright and see how Shakespeare fairs in the modern world. 1.    First off, in case you’ve been living under a rock for the past century (or two), let me introduce … Continue reading Linking in Lincoln: August 6, 2008