University of Nebraska Press

Rockets, Stars, and 4th of July

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 to other great astronomy sites, or see the sky from Lincolnshire, GB, visit Davep's Astronomy.  For "scientific and other 'neato' projects in astronomy, geoscience, physics, and electronics," visit Dean W. Armstrong's blog.  The moderator of Space Prizes defines the aim of his blog: "My goal with this site is to bring together these resources so a reader interested in space, or similar, prizes can quickly appreciate the whole of this potentially powerful approach to innovation."

Enjoy your weekend!

Now available:

Into That Silent Sea: Trailblazers of the Space Era, 1961–1965 by Francis French and Colin Burgess and with a foreword by Paul Haney.   

Author Events June 28 thru July 4

Rock, Ghost, Willow, Deer: A Story of Survival
By Allison Adelle Hedge Coke

Sunday, July 1-6, 2007
The Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University
Summer Writing Program 2007
2130 Arapahoe Avenue
Boulder, CO
303.245.4600
Author appearance, workshop "Cultural Activism and Cross-Cultural Exploration" and reading.

Tuesday, July 3, 2007 -- 8:00 PM
Performing Arts Center at Naropa University's main campus
2130 Arapahoe Avenue
Boulder, CO 80302
303.245.4630
Author appearance and reading.

What Becomes You
By Aaron Raz Link and Hilda Raz

Tuesday, July 3, 2007 -- 7:30 PM
Powell's City of Books
SW 10th and Burnside
Portland, OR 97209
Aaron Raz Link appearance, reading and book signing.

For all upcoming author events, please visit our Author Events & Book Signings page.

San Francisco, Part Two

he span of the Golden Gate Bridge suspension is 4,200 feet (a mile is 5,280 feet), so the walk across the bridge was shorter than the walking I do on an average day (at least three miles).  It had to be only about sixty degrees, maybe a little warmer, so the weather was perfect for a short hike across the strait.  A beautiful day for it, actually, with a warm sun and a cool, ocean breeze.  Unfortunately, we forgot our sunscreen, so we got a little burned, but otherwise we were no worse for the wearing.

A View into the Culture of Basketball

heck out this audio/visual representation of the book Under the Boards: The Cultural Revolution in Basketball.  The book is by author Jeffrey Lane, and you can visit his website here.  The video was created by Emily Henretta.  Enjoy!

I'd Rather be Fishing!

I'm sitting here trying to keep focused on something but I'm failing miserably.  Looking out the window--the sky like water with undulating waves of clouds and blue, the tree branches easily manipulated by the wind--all I can think about is my grandmother and fishing at home on Lake Michigan.  I close my eyes briefly and I am struck by a strange memory of Lexington, MS, while there with Habitat for Humanity.  One of the people with our group took the neighborhood boys out fly fishing.  We fished quietly on a pond surrounded by farmland and cattle.  On a whim, my friend gave one of the boys of our host family a fly lure.  The kid was so proud of his newest possession that he slept with it that night.  Good times.

What's the next best thing?  Blogs on fishing, of course!  Under the "Why" tab of the blog The Trout Underground, at the top of the page, is an excerpt of the blog's manifesto: ". . .fly fishing's supposed to be fun.  It's not always graceful, it's rarely simple,and it's almost never stupidly easy, but it is supposed to be fun."  The site is fun, but there is a lot on environmental issues regarding fish.

If you're near the Gunpowder River in Maryland, you may want to check out Backwater Angler.  This is a store's blog, but they talk about Gunpowder River Cleanup (including video), fishing, fishing equipment, and everything else.  Great pics!

Before planning your trip, visit Fishing Guide Network.

This is just a post on fishing practicality.  And if you live here in Nebraska, you can visit NebraskaFishing,

Well, I guess I'll continue to gaze out of the window.  Enjoy your weekend!

More Praise for Pulp Writer

Pulp Writer: Twenty Years in the American Grub Street 
By Paul S. Powers, edited by Laurie Powers

“This work is a treasure for pulp fans, and a fine introduction for those looking to learn more about an underappreciated American art form.”

—Publishers Weekly Web-Exclusive

Read previous reviews for Pulp Writer

More Praise for Branch Rickey

Branch Rickey: Baseball’s Ferocious Gentleman by Lee Lowenfish

“The story of the man who made the Dodgers the pride of Brooklyn makes fascinating reading for any student of baseball history. . . . The details of how Rickey laid the groundwork have rarely been recounted with such a dramatic eye to detail.”

—Richard Tedesco, Nassau Herald

Read previous praise for Branch Rickey

More Praise for Houses of Study

Houses of Study by Ilana Blumberg

“[I]t’s a book that deserves a serious readership: a memoir that reads like a poem, a voice that’s intelligent, brave, passionate and conversant.”

—Sandee Brawarsky, Jewish Week

Read previous praise for Houses of Study

Praise for Under the Boards

Under the Boards: The Cultural Revolution in Basketball by Jeffrey Lane

"Lane’s personal dialogue complements his rich account of the history of modern hoops. When examining the relationships that exist between the NBA and hip-hop, big sneaker companies and high school studs, Lane’s gatherings register dead-on and true."—Matt Caputo, SLAM

“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

“Lane’s point is interesting and  . . . valid.”—R. L. Abbott, CHOICE

“Lane’s first book comes at you like a tenacious defender—grabbing, pushing, and decimating your comfort zone [with] penetrating and often startling insight. . . . This book will force you to buckle down and confront your weaknesses. And in this case, it’s your mind that ends up stronger.” —Jesse Washington, Bounce Magazine

Author Events June 21 thru June 27

Famous
By Kathleen Flenniken

Sunday, June 24, 2007 -- 8:00AM to 10:30AM
2007 ALA Annual Conference
Washington Convention               Center
801 Mount Vernon Place, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Kathleen Flenniken will be speaking at a breakfast honoring Notable Books, along with Pulitzer prize-winner Jed Horne and New York Times and New Yorker contributor Melissa Fay Greene.

To the Last Salute
By Georg von Trapp; Translated and with an introduction by Elizabeth M. Campbell

Saturday, June 23, 2007 -- 11:15 AM
Vermont History Expo
Tunbridge World's Fair Grounds
Tunbridge, VT
Author appearance, reading, talk and book signing.

Where the Trail Grows Faint
By Lynne Hugo

Monday, June 25, 2007 -- 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
University of Kentucky Summer Series on Aging
Marriott Griffin Gate Resort
Lexington, KY
Author appearance.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007
University of Kentucky Summer Series on Aging
Marriott Griffin Gate Resort
Lexington, KY
Author appearance, reading and booksigning.

For all author events, please visit Author Events and Book Signings page.