Jackalope Dreams by Mary Clearman Blew

“Mary Clearman Blew’s stunning first novel gives us an example—if any is required—of why fiction is still necessary and what it uniquely offers. It’s an understated achievement that recalls the early works of Larry McMurtry, along with the tough, febrile voice of S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders and the emotional intelligence of William Maxwell. Willa Cather’s work also comes to mind. . . . Sentences seethe with urgent, unhurried energy, and the description of the land the author so clearly loves is in service of the story, not showing off. You come to care deeply about these people, caught between an uncapturable past and an uncertain future. Jackalope Dreams is a small masterpiece; it deserves the attention it makes a point of not seeking.”—Paul Wilner, Los Angeles Times Book Review

To read earlier praise for Jackalope Dreams, please visit http://nebraskapress.typepad.com/university_of_nebraska_pr/2007/12/praise-for-jack.html.

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Links to Put a Spring in Your Step Finally, the first day of spring has arrived! Those of us who have spent our winter months in icy anticipation of the arrival of spring are undoubtedly thrilled at the turn of season. In honor of spring’s grand entrance, today’s “Linking in Lincoln” is an ode to all things spring. So, whether it’s sunny or dreary where you are, enjoy a “spring break” courtesy of the UNP blog. What would spring be without the spring & summer UNP catalog? Browse our new March books here. From this page, you can also link … Continue reading Linking in Lincoln: March 20, 2008

By Peggy Shumaker Congratulations!  Your book’s been accepted for publication! First, you dance! Then you make plans to give your new book its best chance in the world. You’ve got nearly a year while the book’s in production, just barely enough time to do the following: • Contact any reporters or reviewers you know—print, broadcast, or online. Send them advance publicity and reviews. Add them to the press’s standard review list.• From your acknowledgments page, make a list of the magazines that have published your work. Do they also publish reviews? If so, compile a list of those editors and … Continue reading Spreading the Word: Advice for the Newly Published Author

Valentines by Ted Kooser “Over 22 years, Kooser has discovered a startling variety of ways to invert and enliven the vocabulary of romance, finding tender implications in even the mustiest Valentine’s symbols. . . . When it comes to his beloved(s), Kooser has generous eyes, offering always to keep her young. . . . Kooser’s poems do build a frisson, making the most of small moments of intimacy.” —Emily Nussbaum, New York Times Book Review To read earlier praise for Valentines, please visit http://nebraskapress.typepad.com/university_of_nebraska_pr/2008/01/praise-for-vale.html. Continue reading Nearly Easter, but Still Valentine’s Day: Continued Praise for Kooser’s Valentines

Good Neighbors, Bad Times: Echoes of My Father’s German Village by Mimi Schwartz “A fascinating picture, atypical of so much written on the subject. Blessed with good antennae and a skeptical mind, Ms. Schwartz is not an innocent abroad. Never gullible or credulous, but open to the evidence of her own eyes and ears, she is an ideal guide to her father’s lost world, which for so long she resisted. . . . It is a measure of her nuanced approach and refusal to settle for pat, simplistic answers that her book finds and genuinely values a rare point of … Continue reading More Praise for Good Neighbors, Bad Times

Opa Nobody by Sonya Huber “In her first book, teacher and activist Huber reaches across time and space to find guidance and camaraderie in the reconstructed life of Heina Buschmann, the German grandfather she never met. . . . Family relationships and political situations are wrought finely enough to illustrate what’s at stake for Heina.”—Publishers Weekly For earlier praise for Opa Nobody, visit http://nebraskapress.typepad.com/university_of_nebraska_pr/2008/01/praise-for-opa.html. Continue reading Continued Praise for Opa Nobody

Bicycling beyond the Divide:Two Journeys into the Westby Daryl Farmer “Daryl Farmer lyrically meshes his traveling experiences of 1985 with 2005 in his book. . . . With writing that compares favorably to Paul Theroux, William Least Heat Moon, and John Steinbeck, Farmer assures us that the American spirit hasn’t been completely deflated.”—Lee Gooden, ForeWord “The book isn’t just bicycle talk. Much to Farmer’s credit—and the fact that he keeps journals—he gives us some historical background of the towns and places he visits. He also shares his personal life and his feelings, such as loneliness, anger and moments of happiness. … Continue reading Praise for Bicycling beyond the Divide

On St. Patrick’s Day, 17 Reasons to Purchase Dinty Moore’s New Book, Between Panic & Desire By Kate Flaherty 1. Because at a zippy 140 pages, Dinty provides his readers with all of the angst and none of the bloating. 2. Because Dinty finally explains in full the origins of his name in all its Dinty-ness. 3. Because even his index is funny (Goo goo ga joob, 64). 4. Because his author’s note is even funnier. 5. Because the book is like therapy, only cheaper. (“When you stop beating your head against the wall, your head miraculously feels better.”) 6. … Continue reading Ode to an Irishman

The Great Romance: A Rediscovered Utopian Adventure by The Inhabitant, edited by Dominic Alessio “This may have been the first time that anyone described space suits, air locks or the difficulties of landing on an asteroid or entering a planetary atmosphere. . . . . This reprint will be of considerable interest to specialist scholars of science fiction.”—Publishers Weekly Continue reading Praise for The Great Romance