University of Nebraska Press

The Marketeers Club: Little Bison in the Big Apple

Bright lights, tall buildings, and people bustling about: in the city that never sleeps, a small bison named Benny left the familiar Great Plains in order to conquer the book publishing world.

The idea of sending Benny to New York first came up in early April. The University of Nebraska Press (UNP) marketeers decided we needed to send a representative to New York City to promote the Press along with our imprint, Bison Books. Benny had dreamed of going to New York ever since he was a calf, and finally, here was his chance.  

Benny traveled to New York City during the first week in May, to promote UNP’s new Fall titles to various publications and clients. Benny was a little sad that he would be missing the lovely Spring weather Nebraska usually has in May. However, as May 1 approached, Nebraska encountered cold temperatures and snow. Benny wasn’t so reluctant to leave anymore, because the East Coast was being faced with a forecast of sunshine and heat, which was his favorite kind of weather!

So off Benny went, flying from one city to the next until he finally landed in the Big Apple. There was so much he wanted to do and so much he wanted to see! His first stop was at one of the most well-known spots in NYC, the place where all tourists go: Times Square.

From the desk of Larry Ruttman

Author Larry Ruttman describes his impressions about his book signing at the 92Y
. 

I must be the luckiest man alive! Imagine having the most exciting night of your life at age eighty-two. Not that my fifty-year career as a lawyer was boring. But, as an author you feel the love and admiration coming right at you during every encounter. And so it was when I took the stage at the iconic 92nd Street Y in New York City on Monday, May 13, alongside the irrepressible Alan Dershowitz, film critic and Renaissance man; Jeffrey Lyons; and former lefty Major League pitcher and convert to Judaism Bob Tufts, to discuss my new book, American Jews and America's Game: Voices of a Growing Legacy in Baseball. The fast-paced, fun-filled, laugh-provoking yet serious discussion of baseball, and the place of Jews in it, was followed by a host of questions from the overflow audience, demonstrating how much their interest and enthusiasm had been aroused. A big hand at the conclusion! All four of us on stage were rushed by well-wishers in the audience. Dershowitz and Tufts, feet dangling, answered yet more questions, while Lyons and I did the same, leaning into the crowd below. Then pictures and handshakes among the four of us. Being led away through the approving crowd in the lobby to a table where folks lined up for me to sign copies of my book. Smiles both ways as each approached. Amiable and reminiscent conversation with each person, followed by an inscription to fit the wish of each and my thankful signature. Books were even purchased by the 92Y staff. My wife and friends nearby with hugs and warmth. The work of six years rewarded by such a successful event!

- Larry Ruttman

Photo caption from left to right: Alan Dershowitz, Jeffrey Lyons, Larry Ruttman

From the desk of Barbara Loeb

Barbara Loeb is the co-editor of The Woman Who Loved Mankind by Lilian Bullshows Hogan, the fascinating life story of a 20th-century Crow woman elder. Loeb and Mardell Plainfeather set out to tell Hogan's story in traditional Crow storytelling forms. 

When Mardell Plainfeather and I recorded the life story of Mardell’s elderly Crow Indian mother, Lillian Bullshows Hogan, I wanted to write Lillian’s stories the way she talked. No easy task, but my quest led me to the idea that oral storytelling is performance, so it was important to follow the rhythms of Lillian’s voice, changing to a new line each time she paused. That meant years of intense and detailed work—twenty years worth, to be exact—yet, despite of countless hours with these stories, I still find the stories fresh and relevant. 

Lately I have been pondering a small cluster of three particularly timely stories that address trans-gender issues. Crow people solved some of these dilemmas long ago. Women might follow a more masculine lifestyle if they choose, and men might become berdaches (men who dressed and lived as women).  Early church ministers, Indian agents, and other white authorities were uncomfortable with the idea of berdaches, and they harassed and humiliated them out of existence. The tradition disappeared, but Lillian’s family knew the last of the old-time Crow berdaches quite well. He lived until 1929. In the Apsáalooke language his name was Ohchikapdaapesh, or Ochiich, for short. In English his name meant Finds Them and Kills Them. Ochiich was a respected warrior who wore men’s clothing in battle but lived much of his life as a woman. He was a good cook and a skilled beader, and he almost always wore a dress and other women’s garments. 

Lillian described this traditional berdache, as well as her memories of his visits to her family. She recalled his fun-filled teasing and the oranges and other goodies he brought to her and her brother whenever he came for a visit. She also recounted one of his military accomplishments, and she told a moving story of a confrontation between Agent Estep, the white man who enforced harsh federal polices on the reservation, and Chief Plenty Coups, the last of the tribe’s great old-time chiefs. Estep called Ochiich into his office and attempted to force him into more masculine ways, but Chief Plenty Coups made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that Ochiich had a place in Crow society just the way he was. If you would like to read the story of Ochiich, Agent Estep, and Chief Plenty Coups click here. 

-Barbara Loeb

Bookish Links and Delightful Miscellany

Let's hit it:

• 8-year-old's invention for keeping books dry in the bath
• Travel back in time with the WIRED Media Kit from 1992
• Britain's most remote bookshop is for sale
• History of Typography
• Which Shakespeare Character are You?
• This is a Bookshop
  
  
  
• The Jacket Racket: Vintage Book Cover Design

From the desk of Ray A. March

Ray A. March is the author of River in Ruin, which discusses the history of the Carmel River since the arrival of Europeans to the Monterey Peninsula in the 1700s, focusing on its uses, users, and the recent impact of development. March was quoted on 90.3 KAZU Public Radio and below he comments on the recent approval to remove the San Clemente Dam. 

History has been made in California with the recent official approval to decommission the San Clemente Dam on the Monterey Peninsula’s Carmel River.

The 106-foot-high dam, scheduled for demolition beginning this summer, will be the largest dam removal project ever undertaken in the state.

The decision to remove the dam came on a unanimous vote of the Monterey County Planning Commission and ended more than 15 years of yo-yo debates and delays that frequently left the public wondering where its future water was going to come from and for how long.

During a week-long speaking and book-signing tour of the Monterey Peninsula—as part of the promotional campaign last year for River in Ruin: The Story of the Carmel River—it was immediately apparent to me that for the most part the residents of the fabled region had no idea that the little Carmel River was their main source of domestic water.

 But, they asked questions. They showed serious concern and more than once they hoped River in Ruin held all the answers.

“I’m afraid I don’t have the answers,” I told them. “I’m the messenger. You have to find the answers to your water problems by getting involved, by taking action. It’s up to you if you want to save your river.”

The ultimate fall of the San Clemente Dam will not only restore the Carmel River’s fish and ecological habitat, it will also restore the confidence of the people of the Monterey Peninsula that they can make a difference.

-Ray A. March

Give to Lincoln Day is May 16

Across the city of Lincoln, nonprofit organizations—including Friends of the University of Nebraska Press—are spreading the word about the upcoming Give to Lincoln Day on May 16. The Lincoln Community Foundation sponsors this 24-hour online fundraising event and offers $200,000 for a matching funds challenge.

The UNP Friends are excited to be a part of this community effort and hope to jumpstart fundraising for a large e-book conversion project. There is good reason for excitement and hope because in 2012, the first time the event was held, $1.3 million was raised from 5,448 donors for Lincoln nonprofits in just 24 hours.

Even more remarkable was that 51% of those donors surveyed had never donated to a nonprofit organization. Fundraising is a constant effort for nonprofits, and it is incredibly difficult to attract new donors. Give to Lincoln Day proved to not only be successful at raising funds but also at triggering action instead of just good intentions.  

We invite you to visit the UNP Razoo page to learn more about the conversion project and then act! You can schedule your donation for “On a Giving Day” (the default option) and your generosity will help us compete for a larger portion of the matching funds. 

May sales

Jewish American Heritage Month Sale

May is Jewish American Heritage Month. Celebrate by saving 25% off books like Ellen Cassedy's We Are Here: Memories of the Lithuanian Holocaust. This book recently won the 2013 Towson Prize for Literature.

Offer expires May 31, 2013

 

 

Shavuot Sale

Shavuot honors the day God gave the Torah to the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai. This year's celebration begins May 14. 

Save 25% off books like Judaism's Great Debates: Timeless Controversies from Abraham to Herzl by Rabbi Barry L. Schwartz. This book surveys the great theological, spiritual, and political debates in Judaism, to encourage the reader to consider the relevance of these debates in the contemporary world.

Offer expires May 15, 2013

A Roundup of Reviews

Appetite for Books reviewer Claudia Kousoulas calls Jason Anthony’s Hoosh “…a departure from the adventurous tales of expeditioners, but a fascinating departure.” She mentions, “For those of us challenged by a weekly grocery list, Anthony’s description of planning Antarctic meals past and present is humbling.” 

“An emotional, personal cartography, Body Geographic is an exploration of the author’s life,” is how E.B. Boatner describes Barrie Jean Borich's new book in Lavender Magazine. 

MetroActive writer Gary Singh sings Cathleen Miller praise in a recent article about her new book Champion of Choice. While the book describes the impressive work of Nafis Sadik, this article describes the impressive work of Miller. Singh says, “... Miller does not just write Sadik's story alone. That would have been too simple. Instead, she juxtaposes Sadik's career with vignettes from the trenches of female victimization in order to reveal examples of the very injustices that Sadik fights against.”

Dan Erwine describes what he took away from Almost Somewhere by Suzanne Roberts in his review on Bookin’ with Sunny, “Fol­lowing the trail teaches you a lot about yourself. That’s the real value gained from reading this book.”

Tim Hauserman from California’s Adventure Sports Journal provides an another male perspective on Almost Somewhere, “As a guy I enjoyed reading these details, if only to understand how clueless I have been about the emotional issues many of my female hiking buddies are facing.”

Bookish Links and Delightful Miscellany

Miniature Books

Redefining a Little Library is a recent article in the NYT about a miniature book collector. I love miniatures and, obviously, I love books so I find this irresistible. Wouldn't you love to browse through his dollhouse library?

Speaking of miniatures, did you know that UNL is home to The Kruger Collection of Miniature Furnishings and Decorative Arts?

I wonder where they get the little stands that hold the dimes. 

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#fridayreads

My #fridayreads this week is Life After Life by Kate Atkinson. I've loved her books ever since my boss at the bookstore put Behind the Scenes at the Museum in my hands and just said, "You have to read this."

What are you reading?

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Mary Beth Keane is a Willa Cather Fan!

She ranks My Antonia among her top 3-5 favorite books of all time.

Oh Wow. Can I do this? This is a list that's always in flux. Dubliners. The Collected Poems of Seamus Heaney. Pale Horse Pale Rider by Katherine Anne Porter. My Antonia by Willa Cather. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers. Ask me next week and the list will be different.

I recently read and enjoyed her novel Fever, based on the life of Typhoid Mary.

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40 Inspiring Workspaces Of The Famously Creative

I'm drawn to the extremes—my favorites are either the clean, minimalist rooms or the most cluttered.

This is neither, but Charlotte Bronte!

And I could sit here all day:

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Book Covers, from an Editor's Perspective

Maria Gagliano of Slice Magazine shares her experiences as an editor as part of the Encounters in Publishing series.

But for all the heartache that manuscripts can cause, I never imagined my biggest battles would have nothing to do with what lies between the pages. The real woes, the ones that have made me question my life choices, usually revolve around one thing: the cover. 

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The Last Bookshop

(via Shelf Awareness)

Covering the Bases: A baseball review roundup

Baseball’s New Frontier by Fran Zimnuich was in an article on Going 9 Baseball by Jerry Milani.

Mr. Wrigley’s Ball Club by Roberts Ehrgott was reviewed by Scott Simon in the Chicago Tribune.

American Jews & America's Game by Larry Ruttman was in the Jewish Daily Forward.

In the Best Interest of Baseball? by Andrew Zimbalist was reviewed in New York Journal of Books by Dorothy Seymour Mills.

501 Baseball Books Fans Must Read before They Die by Ron Kaplan was in three articles by Stuart Shiffman that were in Illinois Times, 20 Something Reads, and the Book Reporter. Kaplan's book was also in The Joy of Sox, the Daily News, the Taunton Daily Gazette, CBS Chicago, and Shelf Awareness.