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Inside Info on Uncle John’s Nellie

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Nellie_on_car_4

As a journalist, I learned a long time ago to roll my eyes when I got a phone call or email from someone claiming to have “inside” information on a topic or person I’d written about. Oh, right. Sure thing.

Last February, when the LA Times published a story about my forthcoming book, “The Enigma Woman: The Death Penalty of Nellie May Madison,” I got an email from a man purporting to be the nephew of Nellie’s last husband, John Wagner. I’d spent months scouring all available sources, looking for information on Wagner and, out of the blue, here it was. Oh, right. Sure thing.

I wrote him back — polite but distant. “Thanks so much for your email. Glad you enjoyed the story.” I couldn’t be too rude though; I wanted him to buy the book.

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More Praise for Under the Boards

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Under the Boards: The Cultural Revolution in BasketballBy Jeffrey Lane “Lane [has] developed a keen eye for the racial, generational and power dynamics at play in his favorite pastime, which is evident in his new book. . . . Lane proves that the culture of basketball not only influences American life but accurately reflects wider social patterns and what transpires in the locker room, the press box or the owner’s office is worth as much examination as the action on the hardwood.”—WireTap Read previous praise for Under the Boards Continue reading More Praise for Under the Boards

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Summer Travel

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As the long days of summer wear on, you may be getting a little wanderlust.  On the sidebar of this blog, you’ll find a new link (just added yesterday) to Backroads Nebraska, a touring company that specializes in trips off the beaten path. Besides Nebraska and its back roads, you may want to check out these blogs and do a little desktop traveling: Travel Blog is a collection of travel journals, photos, and posts from around the world.  There is also a forum, world facts, guides, wallpaper, and a lot more. My Travel Backpack is a fun, communal site where … Continue reading Summer Travel

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Re-Defining Immigration

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Here’s an SAT-kind question:

IMMIGRATION :: AMERICA

____________ :: FAITH

What exactly is immigration to America? Is this question even worth asking? Yesterday, as I was working at home at recording translations of Walt Whitman’s work into Russian (this is also the kind of work, besides cleaning and landscaping, that is performed by immigrants), I was listening to the Independence Day programs on the radio, Ellis Island Oral History project among them. Interspersed with inspiring music, actors and actresses read testimony from actual immigrants who’d gone through the Ellis Island processing facility. All stories were read with the same, vaguely Eastern European accent (rolled r’s, hard t’s, the works) and all stories were the same. After a long difficult trip on a boat, the newly arrived glimpsed the Statue of Liberty and had their hearts lifted. No one asked them anything. Some had a chalk mark put on their backs—and turned away. The unwanted ones were marked. The others were not marked. They were not different. There were not really others once they left the island and dissolved in the Manhattan crowds. This was 1920s and 30s. People stepped off on the American soil and became American. The will to get here was enough; they were anointed American.

When similar people undertake an arduous journey today through the desert, not as long, but just as drenching and nerve-racking as the old one taken on a boat, they also step into a big city and disappear.

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Literary Celebrations

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The Big Empty made its debut at University of Nebraska President James B. ("J.B.") Milliken’s House on Thursday, June 21, 2007.  The evening was filled with food, drink, and Nebraska’s literary finest, all to celebrate the publication of The Big Empty: Contemporary Nebraska Nonfiction Writers, edited by Ladette Randolph and Nina Shevchuk-Murray.  Click the continue link below to see more pictures from the star-studded event. 

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Happy Independence Day

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Decisive Battles of the U.S.A., 1776-1918By J. F. C. Fuller “Each battle chapter is linked skillfully to the next by a synopsis covering the intervening period, thus leading to an understanding of political and economic events as well as military action. This volume still has considerable value for military history collections.”—Library Journal Chainbreaker: The Revolutionary War Memoirs of Governor Blacksnake as told to Benjamin WilliamsEdited with an introduction and notes by Thomas S. AblerWith a new preface by the editor “It is a real pleasure to see the memoirs of Governor Blacksnake at last in print, well edited and introduced … Continue reading Happy Independence Day

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Praise for Connie Mack and the Early Years of Baseball

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Connie Mack and the Early Years of Baseball by Norman L. Macht “Comprehensive and interesting portrait of one of baseball’s most successful managers. . . . A compelling look at a legend and an era.”—Kirkus Reviews “[R]ichly enjoyable.”—The Roanoke Times “Maybe never in baseball history has one man labored for so long with such ultimate success. Norman Macht has brought us the true Connie Mack, and has done so in a most readable and informative style. How can you not love a book that begins, ‘The Irish had a bad year in 1846, finishing last in the international league. For … Continue reading Praise for Connie Mack and the Early Years of Baseball

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More Praise for Pulp Writer

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Pulp Writer: Twenty Years in the American Grub StreetBy Paul S. PowersEdited and with biographical essays by Laurie Powers “If you are a fan of the exploits of Sonny Tabor and Kid Wolf from the pages of Street & Smith’s pulp Wild West Weekly, this is the book for you. . . . Writing talent was not limited to Paul S. Powers’ generation. In this collaboration with her grandfather Laurie Powers has produced an engaging account of the work of this pulp writer that belongs on the shelf of every pulp enthusiast and student of popular culture.”—J. Randolph Cox, Dime … Continue reading More Praise for Pulp Writer

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Rockets, Stars, and 4th of July

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Before the skies are filled with bottle rockets and Roman candles, you may want to check out these blogs, then look to the skies. Astronomer, teacher, lecturer, writer, and self-proclaimed skeptic runs the Bad Astronomer‘s site which, he states, is "devoted to airing out myths and misconceptions in astronomy and related topics."  Tom’s Astronomy Blog offers wonderful images and news of the stellar regions.  Fraser Cain (Universe Today) and Dr. Pamela L. Gay (SIUE) host Astronomy Cast, which airs weekly podcasts on astronomy.  You can also find them on iTunes.  If you want to follow someone’s observation logs, find links … Continue reading Rockets, Stars, and 4th of July