Roots of Change: Nebraska’s New Agriculture by Mary Ridder “[Ridder is] a straightforward and engaging narrator . . . . If you or your rural community are looking for new opportunities, this little volume is a good place to start.”—Nebraska Life “Everyone [who] lives in rural America should read this book.”—Small Farm Today Continue reading Praise for Roots of Change
French and Spicey (Ooh La La!) In honor of the recently published Spiced: Recipes from Le Pré Verre by Philippe Delacourcelle, translated and with a preface by Adele King and Bruce King (University of Nebraska Press), this week’s “Tuesday Trivia” will test your knowledge of French culinary terms. Match the French words and phrases in the left column with their English translations in the right column. Bonne chance! 1. brioche A. ham2. café B. cake … Continue reading Tuesday Trivia
A movie calling itself by that name just came out. No, I haven’t seen it, so this isn’t about that, nor about the new statistics coming out claiming people read less and bemoaning movies made into books. Actually, written by Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary and directed by Robert Zemeckis, I’m willing to bet it will turn out pretty good though the motion capture thing is still creepy. All this is beside the point. The point is, a suggestion you read the epic poem (in translation, but if you want to go for learning Old English, be my guest). Not … Continue reading Beowulf
Another work week has come to a close. You’re tired. You simply can’t answer another e-mail, send another fax, field another phone call, or format another spreadsheet. We know how you feel. You’re in full-blown Friday frenzy and frantically searching for an intelligent means of idling away the afternoon hours. Well, you came to the right place because it’s time for another installment of… This Week in History November 11, 1918: Germany signed an armistice with the allies to bring an end to the fighting in World War I.Want to read a personal take on the Great War? Check out … Continue reading This Week in History: November 11-16, 2007
Thanksgiving is only a mere week away. Are you in charge of the turkey this year? Or in charge of the tofurkey? My migratory family will be migrating throughout the States, but I’ve decided to stay in Lincoln this year. I will be tackling the ornery and slippery tofurkey with my little family of two. I’m debating on making sweet potato pie, a mix of collard and mustard greens (greens are hard to come by here in Lincoln. Not sure why), candying some yams, saucing some cranberries, and corning some bread. Of course, if I were to cook a real … Continue reading Cooking Turkey, Forming Tofurkey
From up here in my fourth floor office, autumn leaves blow by and tap on the window which, considering the height of the trees here in Lincoln, is odd. I sit higher than most of the trees around the building! The wind is very strong today, whipping the outside world around, forcing a wind advisory over much of the state. It reminds me of travel — wanderlust, if you will. That’s my thinking today with the author events, about traveling with books. . . it makes sense somewhere. This week with author events, and each subsequent week, we’ll focus on … Continue reading Author Events November 15 through November 21, 2007
An Interview with Joanne Wilke, Author of Eight Women, Two Model Ts, and the American West In 1924 eight young women drove across the American West in two Model T Fords. A group of farm girls who met while attending Iowa’s Teacher’s College, they shared a sense of adventure and a “yen to see some things.” In nine weeks they traveled more than nine thousand unpaved miles on an extended car-camping trip through six national parks, “without a man or a gun along.” Joanne Wilke’s grandmother and great-aunt were among the fearless females who embarked on this rousing expedition. Now … Continue reading Ancestral Adventures
Claim You Know Willa, Will Ya? Think you know all there is to know about the iconic Willa Cather, celebrated Nebraskan writer and subject of the newly published Cather Studies, Volume 7: Willa Cather as Cultural Icon? Try your hand at this week’s trivia questions and find out just how much of a "Catherphile" you really are. (1) Where was Willa Cather born? (2) Where is Willa Cather buried? (3) How many siblings did she have? (4) In what year did she move with her family to Webster County, Nebraska? (5) Willa was baptized as (fill in the blank). She … Continue reading Tuesday Trivia
Happy Friday, readers! In an effort to keep you entertained on seemingly endless Friday afternoons, we will begin a new weekly feature at the close of each work week entitled "This Week in History." These blog entries will highlight notable historical events, births, and deaths and provide links to similarly-themed UNP books. Diversion and intellectual stimulation in one neat, weekly package. What more could you ask for? This Week in History… November 4, 1879: Will Rogers, the cowboy comedian known as "Oklahoma’s favorite son" was born in Oologah, Oklahoma.Have a hankering for cowboy humor? Check out The Humor of the … Continue reading This Week in History: November 4-9, 2007
Yes, it’s that time of year. We’re in the thick of college football season and, in many households, it’s all football, all the time. In light of this, we’ve asked Tony Moss, author of A Season in Purgatory: Villanova and Life in College Football’s Lower Class (University of Nebraska Press, 2007) to serve as our guest blog writer today. Read on for his thoughts on the “minor league” contenders in the world of college football—the sixteen teams comprising the FCS. This is great Friday fodder and the perfect “kick-off” to another weekend of college football. If you’re a fan of … Continue reading Notes from the Sidelines of Purgatory
