Lyrically Linking Most of us don’t know the first thing about Sacred Harp singing. Bet you didn’t know, for example, that Sacred Harp singing doesn’t require any harps. In fact, there are no instruments involved whatsoever. Go figure. Essentially, this style of musical expression takes the form of a four-part, bellowing harmony, its tone deep and a bit dark—not your grandmother’s gospel music. Interested in learning more? Kathryn Eastburn has penned a fascinating account of the origins and modern-day incarnations of the Sacred Harp movement in A Sacred Feast: Reflections on Sacred Harp Singing and Dinner on the Ground, the … Continue reading Linking in Lincoln: March 10, 2008

Ed Barrow: The Bulldog Who Built the Yankees’ First Dynasty by Daniel R. Levitt “Substantive baseball history filtered through the career of one of the game’s overlooked titans.”—Wes Lukowsky, Booklist To read previous praise for Ed Barrow, please visit http://nebraskapress.typepad.com/university_of_nebraska_pr/2008/02/praise-for-ed-b.html. Continue reading More Praise for Ed Barrow

Chief Bender’s Burden: The Silent Struggle of a Baseball Star by Tom Swift “In Swift’s hands, Bender’s life unfolds gradually, as though he were a character in a novel, and the prejudice he experienced, though never justified, is set within the context of the times. Carefully researched—and documented—as well as stylishly written (uncommon in the genre), this belongs in most baseball collections.”—Wes Lukowsky, Booklist Earlier praise for Chief Bender’s Burden, including an excerpt from its starred review in Library Journal, can be found at http://nebraskapress.typepad.com/university_of_nebraska_pr/2008/02/starred-review.html. Continue reading It’s a Home Run for Tom Swift: Continued Praise for Chief Bender’s Burden

Jackalope Dreams by Mary Clearman Blew “Blew knows how to fuse the rugged with the delicate—some readers may be reminded of Plainsong author Kent Haruf’s no-nonsense approach.”—John Mark Eberhart, Kansas City Star “Engrossing. . . . Blew gets so much right, from her beautiful, clear prose to her sharp humor to her rich characterizations . . . Jackalope Dreams satisfies.”—Jenny Shank, NewWest.net You can read previous praise for Jackalope Dreams at http://nebraskapress.typepad.com/university_of_nebraska_pr/2007/12/praise-for-jack.html. Continue reading More Praise for Jackalope Dreams

Good Neighbors, Bad Times by Mimi Schwartz “Schwartz’s excellent presentation defies categorization. It has some elements of journalism, autobiography, history, reporting, feature writing, and literature. All these components are creatively combined to result in an eminently readable product that grips the reader’s attention. Schwartz has augmented our limited capacity to comprehend the Holocaust, which is ultimately an incomprehensible phenomenon.”—Morton Teicher, National Jewish Post & Opinion To read earlier praise for Good Neighbors, Bad Times, please visit http://nebraskapress.typepad.com/university_of_nebraska_pr/2008/01/praise-for-good.html. Continue reading Schwartz Memoir Continues to Garner Praise

Fans of Dinty W. Moore and his acclaimed, experimental, and completely hysterical memoir Between Panic and Desire are in for a treat. Check out the links below. The first is a recent interview with Dinty on the "Greg and Dan Show" on WMDB Radio in Peoria, Illinois. The second is a recording from Dinty’s Ohio State University appearance, where he read from the chapter "Son of George McManus." Happy listening! Download Moore_GregandDanShow.mp3 Download Moore_OSUReading.mp3 Continue reading Turn on, Tune in… Dinty W. Moore Podcasts

Sox fans: shield your eyes… A Trivia Tribute to the Yankees New this month from UNP, Ed Barrow: The Bulldog Who Built the Yankees’ First Dynasty by Daniel R. Levitt chronicles the life and times of one of the most pivotal figures in Yankee history—general manager Ed Barrow. Barrow joined the Yankees in 1920, marking the beginning of a new and exciting era for the previously pennant-less team. Today’s installment of “Tuesday Trivia” tests your familiarity with some of the major milestones in Yankee history. Sorry Sox fans—you’ll just have to endure this one. Go Yanks! Match the landmark event … Continue reading Tuesday Trivia: April 8, 2008

Kayaking Alone: Nine Hundred Miles from Idaho’s Mountains to the Pacific Ocean by Mike Barenti “A fresh look at a river system critical to our history and our future. . . . This is a good book about paddling, and an even better book about the salmon, science and politics up the Columbia.”—The Spokesman-Review Continue reading Praise for Kayaking Alone

The Golden Volcano by Jules Verne, translated and edited by Edward Baxter “It’s spiked with ‘gold fever’ and an insatiable lust for difficult travel that should make today’s Lonely Planeteers take notice.”—Publishers Weekly Continue reading Praise for The Golden Volcano