University of Nebraska Press

This Week in History: October 6-10, 2008

Well readers, it’s been a pretty interesting few weeks. The bailout passed last Friday, and some of us are ecstatic, while others are terrified. We’ve got two of the three presidential debates out of the way, and I don’t know about you, but I think my candidate is doing quite well. I’ve even been sporting shirt plastered with his face, now that is true patriotism for ya! But if you’re not a fan of politics, then we still 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.”

This Week in History: September 15-19, 2008

Well blogger, it's a new week and we've got a ton of great stuff going on. As you've probably expected, there's quite a bit of baseball and a little poetry, biography, and basketball to even things out. All I can say is that I hope you're ready for another installment of This Week in History!


September 15, 1936: American Baseball player Gaylord Perry was born.

This baseball hall of famer played for 6 teams, including a brief stint in 1980 for the New York Yankees.  For a glance at the most treasured years of this team, check out The Postwar Yankees: Baseball’s Golden Age Revisited by David G. Surdam

September 16, 1914: American radio and television personality Allen Funt is born.

For a look at another famous radio personality, please take a look at Radio’s Revolution: Don Hollenbeck’s CBS Views the Press, edited by Loren Ghiglione

September 17, 1814: Francis Scott Key finishes his poem The Star-Spangled Banner

Now I don’t think anyone would confuse the works of Mr. Key with those of Josh Bell, but poetry is poetry….sorta? Anyway check out No Planets Strike by Josh Bell and decide for yourself.

September 18, 1837: Tiffany and Co. is founded by Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young in New York City.

Three Finger: The Mordecai Brown Story by Cindy Thompson and Scott Brown is the story of one of the greatest pitchers of all time. Not everyone would be happy with only three fingers (regardless of how wonderful a pitcher it made you) but that might be a little different if there was a diamond ring to brighten it up!
September 19, 1959: Nikita Kruscheve is barred from visiting Disneyland.

Cinderella Ball: A Look Inside Small College Basketball in West Virginia, by Bob Kuska, is definitely not the kind fairy tale you find with in the confines of Disneyland, but after reading it I can assure you it is no less inspiring.

Linking in Lincoln: September 18, 2008

“Bell delivers on his promise to ‘burn the very Latin from the world’”

New this month from the University of Nebraska Press, is No Planets Strike by Josh Bell.  This vivid debut collection of poetry from the Columbia University lecturer is serious, playful, modern, and subversive. His unique voice plays brilliantly upon the ear, and the striking imagery will leave the reader both dazzled and mystified. This week Linking in Lincoln will also play its part in producing some links to enhance your reading.

Josh Bell slept with Julia Roberts? Well the poem says so; check it out for yourself at nerve.com.

Now who is Joshua Bell? Apparently he is a Grammy award winning violinist. Take a closer look at his website joshuabell.com for a different kind of art.

Josh Bell (poet) is a lecturer at Columbia University, a place that has employed and taught countless famous artists. One poet in particular (one of my favorites) actually studied Engineering there before deciding to become a poet. Find out more about him at poets.org.

A famous poem by Langston Hughes is “Air Raid over Harlem.” To see a very interesting, and moving, visual depiction of this poem head over to youtube.com.

Why should you read poetry? Well I can think of a million reasons, but somehow I doubt my qualifications would impress you. Maybe a writer for the Huffington Post would however? Check out his article by John Lundberg at the huffingtonpost.com.

Well bloggers, I hope you enjoyed the links. Make sure to check out No Planets Strike by Josh Bell at the UNP website.

Tuesday Trivia: September 16, 2008

It’s a Wide Open Tuesday Trivia!

“Few things have defined the American experience as fully as the open prairie.” – Bill McKibben

New this month from the University of Nebraska Press is The Wide Open: Prose, Poetry, and Photographs of the Prairie, edited by Annick Smith and Susan O’Connor. This acclaimed and beautiful portrait of the often “high, cold plains of the American West” features the talents of writers such as Mary Clearman Blew, Judy Blunt, and Jim Harrison as well as the photographic interpretations of Lee Friedlander and Lois Conner. Their combined efforts bring together a unique and multifaceted biography of this pervasive landscape.

This week's Tuesday Trivia will lend its hand with a (hopefully) quick and enlightening quiz on the everyday ins and outs of the prairie, which all Americans should be educated about. Care to go for a nature walk blogger….?

1.    Prairies once covered about how much of the United States?
2.    Today how much of that prairie still exists?
3.    True or False: Prairies are one of the most recently developed ecosystems in North America?
4.    Iowa has the largest percentage of its area covered by tall grass prairie. How much is this?
5.    True or false: Over fifty plant species can occur in a prairie of less than five acres?
6.    These tall grasses can grow how high?
7.    Some prairie plants put roots out that extend how far below?
8.    How many bison lived on the prairies of North American when Europeans arrived?
9.    By 1885 fewer than how many existed?
10.    Prairie fires were important to the development of the tall grass prairie as they kept the prairie from what?

Ok, bloggers how did you do? Be sure to check back tomorrow for the answers! In the meantime head to the UNP website to check out The Wide Open, and our other great September books!

Linking in Lincoln: September 4, 2008

Joie de Linking in Lincoln!

“Over the years I have developed a distaste for the spectacle of joie de vivre, the knack of knowing how to live”.

New this month from the University of Nebraska Press is Against Joie de Vivre: Personal Essays by Phillip Lopate. This rejoinder to the cult of hedonism and forced conviviality moves from a critique of the false sentimentalization of children and the elderly to a sardonic look at the social rite of the dinner party, on to a moving personal testament to the “hungry soul.” This week Linking in Lincoln will try our own hand at the “Joie de Vivre” and see how we fare. Care to join us?

Our first order of business should be to introduce the writer. Ladies and Gentlemen, by way of his own website, may I introduce Mr. Phillip Lopate of Brooklyn! For his bio, and extensive collection of books please check out philliplopate.com

The personal essay is nothing new….or is it? Check out this great new website, Fresh Yarn.com. This online salon for personal essays features some of the best and brightest. If I’m not mistaken I may have seen one from the writer of Mad About You ( you know in case we have any fans…).

Mr. Lopate takes a “sardonic” look at the dinner party. Well, as luck would have so has Seinfeld. For the funniest 42 seconds of your day head to youtube.com for a fun clip of the episode cleverly named The Dinner Party.

Phillip Lopate worked with students for 12 years as a “writer in the school”, and one of his most famous books “Being with Children” derived from those experiences.  Now there are some things only a teacher can understand, some skills and behavioral quirks that only they will possess. So to get in on the joke head to teachingheart.net for “How to Tell if You’re a Real Teacher”.

Painter Henri Matisse had his own interpretation of Joie de Vivre. For a look at his epic painting The Joy of Life- go here.

Uncle Vanya is a book by Chekhov, a play in which Mr. Lopate produced with a group of pre-adolescents AND a restaurant in NYC. For a review of the restaurant (you’re on the own with the rest) check out nymag.com.  (Psst…their trademark drink is infused vodka- can you tell it’s a Russian restaurant)

Well bloggers, that’s it for today. Is your quality of life looking slightly up? We here at the press sincerely hope so! Check back tomorrow for This Week in History.

Linking in Lincoln: August 6, 2008

New this month from the University of Nebraska Press, is Beyond a Common Joy: An introduction to Shakespearean Comedy by Paul A. Olsen. In this very engaging and persuasive take on Shakespeare’s comic transcendence, Olsen shows how he took from the great themes of his day and molded them into a literary form “on par with epic and tragedy”. This week our Links will pay homage to this great playwright and see how Shakespeare fairs in the modern world.

1.    First off, in case you’ve been living under a rock for the past century (or two), let me introduce Mr. William Shakespeare…courtesy of Wikipedia.

2.    I don’t know about you but nothing says funny to me like Rowan Atkinson and Hugh Laurie. For a great skit, chock full of both comedy and Shakespeare, please check out Youtube.

3.    How well do you know Shakespeare?  In addition to his comedy, he is also famous for his last words.  Find out if you’re an expert with this quiz.

4.    Two things I bet you’d never thought you’d hear together, Bare Naked Ladies and Shakespeare. Curious what they have in common then find out on NPR.

5.    Shakespeare was the master story teller, but Hollywood tells all stories now. So how do you think Shakespeare would fair in Hollywood? Check out NPR to see what they think.

6.    I think it’s safe to say America is a little preoccupied with politics right now. If you’re curious about the link between politics and Shakespeare then go to the New York Sun for this interesting article.

Well, bloggers I hoped you enjoyed the links! Join us tomorrow for TWIH!

Linking in Lincoln: July 10, 2008

New this month from the University of Nebraska Press, Genealogies of Orientalism: History, Theory, Politics edited by Edmund Burke III and David Prochaska is a series of essays that argue for the extension upon Edward Said’s 1978 book, Orientalism, to explore what lies in beyond the title. With this collection they suggest that a look into the past as well as a re-evaluation of the theory is necessary for a multifaceted approach. This week Linking in Lincoln, is also going to take a comprehensive approach to this segment of the world, and see what it has to offer!

Interested in what Orientalism is all about? Check out Emory college for a further description of Edward Said’s book.

For a look at Orientalist art of the nineteenth century please check out this website.

Curious where you come from? Rootsweb: World Connect Project Global Search is a great (and free) place to research your genealogy.

For a more multifaceted look at the orient please check out Orient Magazine for some cuisine articles.

St. Martin’s Orient Beach is a beautiful vacation spot, check out youtube for the virtual tour.

If you need a place to stay while you’re traveling the Orient, then please check out Orient Express Hotel.

What do you think bloggers, do you feel like you’ve acquired a comprehensive perspective of Orientalism? Well, just in case these meager links have fallen short, please check out the University of Nebraska Press for Genealogies of Orientalism: History, Theory, and Politics. Have a great day!

Linking in Lincoln: June 19, 2008

New this month from the University of Nebraska Press is, Green Plans by Huey D. Johnson.  By studying the Green Plans in place around the world, Johnson provides a detailed and accessible examination of their theory, implementation, and performance across the globe, highlighting the challenges and successes of green plans in the Netherlands, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Austria, the United Kingdom, Germany, the rest of the European Community, and Singapore. This week Linking in Lincoln is taking the hint, and proposing a few ways you can go green yourself.

Curious just how far the eco situation has escalated?  Then check out Eco Statistics to get the specifics here.
There are so many aspects to “going green” that one might say you could use a guide. Well, National Geographic just happens have created one.

Maybe you’re like me, and your favorite part of going green is organic fashion. Or maybe that’s something you’ve never heard of….? Well, either way it’s here to stay so you can check it out here at Style Antidote.

Part of being an adult, and having an 8-5 job (well, the fun part anyway…) are the office supplies. That’s a lot of paper though, so perhaps going green in that capacity might save a few trees. Greenroom Eco has a great selection of bright, well made, and fun office supplies.

Wanting to Go Green at home?  And maybe you don’t have the money to do it? Well Ehow has some great tips to get the job done, and maybe save some cash.

Organic is finding itself all over the place. Check out biota.org to see the new face of organic art and its composers.

Check back with us Friday for a new dose of This Week in History