University of Nebraska Press

Off the Shelf: The Exquisite Corpse edited by Kanta Kochhar-Lindgren, Davis Schneiderman, and Tom Denlinger

Read from the Foreword of The Exquisite Corpse: Chance and Collaboration in Surrealism's Parlor Gameedited by Kanta Kochhar-Lindgren, Davis Schneiderman, and Tom Denlinger:

 

"I. Fold, crease, filter

 

Database aesthetics, collaborative filtering, musical riddles, and beat sequence philosophies don’t exactly spring to mind when you think of the concept of the Exquisite Corpse. But if there’s one thing that I want to you to think about when you read this anthology, it’s that collage-based art—whether sound, film, multimedia, or computer code—has become the basic reference frame for most of generation info. We live in a world of relentlessly expanding networks—cellular, wireless, fiber optic routed . . . you name it. This world is becoming more interconnected than ever before, and it’s going to get deeper, weirder, and a lot more interesting than even the data-stream-driven moment of this writing (NYC, at the beginning of the twenty-first century).

Judging books by their covers

As I was perusing some book blogs this morning, I stumbled across this essay on The Millions about the process (and the mystery) of designing a book jacket. First-time novelist Sonya Chung writes that when it came time to offer input on the cover of her book, she didn’t know what to say other than that she didn’t want the cover to be too literal or to be a montage of fans, cranes, cherry blossoms and other stereotypical images associated with Asian culture. She loved image the book jacket designer sent to her – a woman taking a photograph of the horizon – but her friends had mixed reactions to it. In the post, she wonders how the cover of a book draws potential readers in, and whether it matters if the tone of the cover conveys accurately to readers the tone of the story inside.

Reading this blog reminded me of a conversation I had yesterday with one of the University of Nebraska Press’s authors. Bart Paul is the author of the forthcoming Double-Edged Sword, which is a biography of the gay American matador (and, for a time, close friend of Ernest Hemingway) Sidney Franklin. The cover of the book is a portrait of Sidney Franklin (complete with cape and bull) by painter Luis Quintanilla, who was also a friend of Hemingway. The portrait no longer exists: according to a Web site maintained by Quintanilla’s son, the artist was never satisfied with it and eventually cut the portrait in half and reused the canvas. But the painting was published in Town & Country Magazine in 1940, so it was not completely lost. And the forthcoming Franklin biography (to be published by the University of Nebraska Press in December) will prominently feature the painting on its cover – perhaps shedding a little bit of light on this nearly forgotten artist, as well as on his one-time subject.

A whole lotta NYT; also a whole lotta quilts

I begin today’s blog post with Google news: You may have heard about Google Book Search, which basically provides scans of books online for free, and the full text of certain books and collections for a fee. Some authors feel this violates copyright laws, and filed a class action suit against Google in 2005. And today, the Justice Department granted those authors opposed to Google Book Search a four-month extension to decide whether to opt out of Google Books Search, which some say means the Justice Department is taking the authors’ concerns seriously. New York Times story is here, and some background information on the issue, also from the NYT is here.

In semi-related news, the Internet (including, presumably, Google), has allowed two authors to turn their vacation cottage in Ireland to their full-time home/office (oh to be so lucky). Story, again, from the New York Times, is here.

And in University of Nebraska Press news, yesterday marked the official publication date of our book Quilts in the Modern Age: 1870-1940. This book is two things: a comprehensive history and analysis of American quilts from that era, and also a very beautiful picture book of many quilts that defined the era (some of which are located right here in Lincoln, at the International Quilt Study Center & Museum, with whom we collaborated on this book). An exhibition of these quilts is coming up, so stay tuned for details. But in the meantime, you can view a few sample photos here.

The Most Beautiful Man in the World

Today’s Lincoln Journal Star features a story about Paul Swan, a dancer known for as much for his physical beauty as for his talent. Swan was also the subject of a 2006 biography, The Most Beautiful Man in the World: Paul Swan, from Wilde to Warhol, written by Janis and Richard Londraville and published by the University of Nebraska Press.

In addition to being a dancer, Swan was a gifted artist who painted portraits of Willa Cather, Charles Lindbergh and Benito Mussolini, among others. In 1922, he painted a portrait of a woman believed to have been his lover. But the painting disappeared … until now. Want to know more? Click here to read the story.

This Week in History: November 17-21, 2008

Hey readers, Thanksgiving is officially a week and a day away- hopefully your holiday plans are coming along! This week we have a plethora of topics, including communism, Mark Twain, and Vietnam… think we’re covered? Then go ahead and join me reader!

November 17, 1865: The U. S. Screen Actors Guild implements an anticommunist loyalty oath.

In Radio’s Revolution: Don Hollenbeck's CBS Views the Press edited by Loren Ghiglione, we see how much of this period was devoted to anti-communist agenda, and how even the media was not exempt from the frenzy.

November 18, 1865: Mark Twain publishes his story “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” in The New York Saturday Press.

Is there anyone more classic, more American than Mark Twain? You can find out for yourself by taking a look at Tales of Wonder, by this revered author.

November 19, 1998: Vincent van Gogh’s Portrait of the Artist without Beard sells for 71.5 Million at an auction.

Ralph Blakelock was brilliant, institutionalized, and self taught. He was exactly the kind of artist Van Gogh could appreciate. You can find out more about him in Beyond Madness: The Art of Ralph Blakelock  1847-1919 by Norman A. Geske.

November 20, 1969: The Cleveland Plain Dealer publishes explicit pictures of dead villagers from the My Lai massacre in Vietnam.

Photography has always been a powerful medium. Whether it be Vietnamese photographs or pictures of the open prairie, as in The Wide Open: Prose, Poetry, and Photographs of the Prairie, edited by Annick Smith and Susan O’Connor.

November 21, 1976: Daniel Whiston, British Ice skater is born today.

Nothing is better than ice skating. Ok, well plenty of people think everything is better than ice skating, but I just love it. In fact, I am kind of a big fan of winter in general. If you like the cold, I mean the really, really cold, then check out The Entire Earth and Sky: Views on Antarctica by Leslie Carol Roberts.

Ok readers, I hope we kept you entertained today. Be sure to check out all these titles, and more, at the University of Nebraska Press website. You can also join us next Tuesday for a little trivia. Have a great weekend!

Linking in Lincoln: November 13, 2008

New this month from the University of Nebraska Press is The National Museum of the American Indian: Critical Conversations by Amy Lonetree and Amanda J. Cobb.  The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian opened up in Washington D.C. in 2004.  Made up of approximately 800,000 objects within three galleries, these pieces are closely related to native communities across the continent. This compilation of perspectives, including both native and non-native, span the boundaries of art history, anthropology, ethnic studies, and Native American studies.
    Museums are just one of the many ways this country gives recognition and acknowledgement to the many disenfranchised groups that have existed here. This week Linking in Lincoln will provide links to some museums that represent other alienated cultures in America. Institutes which symbolize the inspiring accomplishments and heritage that at times during our history went overlooked. Care to join us reader?

1.    The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum was dedicated in 1993 and has had more than 25 millions visitor to this day.

2.    The National Museum of African American History was also established in 2003 by the Smithsonian Institute. They were the first major museum to open on the web before their physical building was complete.

3.    In 1908 the Hispanic Society of America Museum and Library opened its doors. To this day it has published more than 200 monographs by the society’s curators.

4.    The Japanese American National Museum opened in 1992 and contains 130 years of Japanese American History dating back to the Issei generation.

5.    From 1892 to 1954 this immigrant depot processed and welcomed 12 million people in search of freedom and economic opportunity. You can commemorate their arrival at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum.

Well readers, what did you find?  A little slice of history I hope! Don’t forget that you can find The National Museum of the American Indian: Critical Conversations by Amy Lonetree and Amanda J Cobb at the University of Nebraska Press website. Don’t forget to join us tomorrow for a little This Week in History!

This Week in History: October 20-24, 2008

Well readers, it’s been a cold week. It’s been raining a lot, and it seems like we’re finally hitting that lovely October weather. All I know is I want to curl up on a comfortable couch next to a big window with a good book, and a pumpkin latte. Well, maybe tonight. For now I’m going to go ahead and fill you in on new titles in Jewish Studies, Catholicism, Women's rights and a little war as well.

October 20, 1740: The war of succession begins when Maria Theresa takes the throne of Austria.

   

World History of Warfare by Christon I. Archer and John R. Ferris, Holger H. Herwig, and Timothy H.E.Travers covers worldwide military history from ancient times to the present. Maybe Maria Theresa will show up in there?

October 21, 1945: Women are allowed to vote in France.

Views from the Margins: Creating Identities in Modern France, edited by Kevin  J. Callahan and Sarah A. Curtis, is about determining  French identity based on gender, class, nationality, and religion.  And history is always the best place to start.

October 22, 1877: Blantyre mining disaster in Scotland kills 207 miners. The widows and orphans left behind were evicted by mine owners and were likely sent to poor houses.

Grace Abbott was an incredible advocate for the poor, and you can bet a tragedy like this would have gotten her attention. You can read more about her amazing life in the Grace Abbott Reader by Grace Abbott.

October 23, 4004 B.C: Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher.

During World War II a great tension was felt in Argentina, a place with a large catholic population, between the church and the local Jewish population. To see what the Catholic church was like post creation of the world, check out The Catholic Church and the Jews: Argentina, 1933-1945 by Graciela Ben-Dor.

October 24, 1973: Yom Kippur war ends. The war began with a surprise joint attack by Egypt and Syria on the Jewish Day of Atonement.

There are so many rich facets to the Jewish culture, and just as many as in the life of Augusto Segre. You can find out more about them in the memoir, Memories of Jewish Life: From Italy to Jerusalem, 1918-1960 by Augusto Segre.

Well readers, I hope you enjoyed this week! You can find all these books at the University of Nebraska Press website. Check back next week for a little Tuesday Trivia!

This Week in History: October 6-10, 2008

We have a great week of facts for you. Everything from the 1919 World Series scandal to the Day of Six Billion, six billion people that is. Oh, and there are a few great books too…. Care to join me?

October 8, 2001: U.S. President George W. Bush announces the establishment of the Office of Homeland Security.

War has always led to a change in any society. For Americans after 9/11 and the start of the ‘war on terror’, this was Homeland Security. To see the how other societies may have been affected by non-peaceful times, check out World History of Warfare by Christon I. Archer, John R. Ferris, Holger H.  Herwig, and Timothy H.E. Travers.

October 9,1919:  Black Sox scandal where the Cincinnati Reds “win” the World Series.

    Eight baseball players were banished from baseball, despite being found innocent in court. Most famous among them was Joseph Jefferson Jackson or “Shoeless Joe”. For a closer look into his perspective, the innocence he proclaimed until his death, check out Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball, by Harvey Frommer.

October 10, 1967: The Outer Space treaty, signed by more than 60 countries, enters into force.

Now I’m not exactly sure what the outer space treaty is, but to me it sounds like it could have come straight out of the pages of Miles J. Breuer’s,  The Man with the Strange Head and Other Early Science Fiction Stories. 

October 11, 1906: San Francisco public school system clashes with Japan by ordering Japanese students to be taught in racially segregated schools.

It is no secret that the U.S. has often made it hard for minorities to receive fair and equal treatment under the law. Racially segregated schools are no exception, and have often been one of the more pervasive tools. Yet athletics has often been the forerunner in pushing those boundaries.Wally Yonamine: The Man who Changed Japanese Baseball, by Robert K. Fitts, is one of these remarkable stories. To see how he helped alter the roles of Japanese in sports, check it out at UNP.

  October 12, 1999: The Day of 6 billion. The sixth billion human is born in Sarajevo, Bosnia.

Well 6 billion is a lot of people! I think to fit all those people in one place, it would have to be a “wide open” place. Ok yeah, that’s my segue into The Wide Open: Prose, Poems, and Photographs of the Prairie, by Annick Smith and Susan O’Connor. It probably wasn’t smooth, but the book is still good. Check it out!

Ok readers, you can find these books and more at the University of Nebraska Press website. Join us Tuesday for a little trivia. Have a great weekend guys!

This Week in History: September 29-October 3: 2008

Well readers, this has been another fascinating week. The economic crisis we are facing is coming to a head. One proposal has been shot down, and another one is being decided today. Regardless of what happens, we are in the throes of history folks! To keep you from biting your fingernails, This Week in History has a dating service, famous photographers and O.J. Simpson to keep you occupied. Lets not waste another minute!

September  29, 1650: Henry Robinson opens his office of Addresses and Encounters- the first documented dating service in Threadneedle Street, London

Everybody knows the secret to a great date is to be yourself, and to have a fantastic bottle of wine. Corkscrewed: Adventures in the New French wine county by Robert V. Camuto. Just be sure to limit yourself to one glass, otherwise there might not be a second date!

September 30, 1962: Mexican American labor leader Cesar Chavez founds the United Farm Workers.

Cesar Chavez  is a famous activist, a hero to the Mexican people, and a leader to the rest of the world. Have no fear though; we have a few of these kinds of people in our generation as well. Samira Bellil, born in Alergia, was raped at fourteen and rather then silent like so many women in her community, she spoke out against her attackers and got justice through the French legal system. You can check out her story in To Hell and Back: The Life of Samira Bellil by Samira Bellil.

October 1, 1939: After a one-month siege of Warsaw, hostile forces entered the city.

War is not the only thing to mark Warsaw. If you spoke to Gary Gildner, a former teacher at the University of Warsaw, and coach of the baseball team, the Warsaw Sparks then you might see a very different city. Check out The Warsaw Sparks: A Memoir by Gary Gildner  for the whole story.

October 2, 1949: Annie Liebovitz, American photographer is born.

    Often through art, especially photography, we are allowed to see the world through new lenses. This is the beauty of it. Now while Ms. Liebovitz focuses her skills on photographing famous people, the photographers in The Wide Open: Prose, Poetry, and Photographs’ of the prairie edited by Annick Smith and Susan O’Connor, are focusing on the beauty of America’s prairies. Don’t miss it!

October 3, 1995: O.J. Simpson found not guilty of the murders of his ex-wife Nicole and her friend Ronald Goldman.

    Prison writing by inmates, guards, teachers, and chaplains has long since been a tradition analyzed  by critics and scholars. Now while O.J. Simpson wrote his book “If I Did It." outside the big house, I can’t help but wonder if it would have been a bestseller if he had written inside. Either way, check out Jail Sentences: Representing Prison in Twentieth Century French Fiction by Andrew Sobanet for more on this remarkable genre.

Thanks for joining us readers! Have a great weekend, and we’ll see you Tuesday with another installment of Tuesday Trivia.

Linking in Lincoln: September 24, 2008

“Longing itself is nothing but the heart’s open spaces,”

New this month from the University of Nebraska is The Darkened Temple by Mari L’Esperance. Winner of the Prairie Schooner Book Prize in Poetry, this book concentrates on the disappearance of a mother and the space that leaves in the author’s heart. This week Linking in Lincoln will take a look at this book and see what we can make of the authors intentions and themes.

Who is Mari L’Esperance? Well the curse of the poet is often that they are destined to be anonymous for most of their careers. Rarely do we find, even the most brilliant poet, on the cover of People magazine. So thank god for Poets& Writers.com. Check out Ms. L’Esperance’s page there.

What is the dark? What does darkness mean in scientific terms, poetic, artistic? As always we turn to the informative Wikipedia .com for a few thoughts.

If temples are more your thing, dark or not, then head to youtube.com for a look at Lost Temples: Mayan Pyramids of Chichen Itza.

What is the Prairie Schooner Book Prize? Well, other than an honor you might say? Well check out the UNL website for the complete 411.

As an avid reader, nothing is more exciting then the idea of all my favorite authors coming together in an place where we, the readers, can connect with them on a level playing field. This place is called the RedRoom.com or (maybe Myspace for writers) and you should check it out!

Well readers, for a closer look at The Darkened Temple and other great works of poetry, head to the UNP website. Don’t forget to join us next Friday for “This Week in History.”