University of Nebraska Press

People Make Publishing: Thanks to J. R. R. Tolkien

Rob Buchanan is the sales coordinator in the marketing department. 

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to J. R. R. Tolkien. The first adult books I ever read were The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I know The Hobbit is technically a children’s book, but since it led me to The Lord of the Rings books, and goes well with them, I am including it here. These are the books that began a lifelong love of fantasy books. After reading those books I spent countless hours at the local library, hunting for new books to read. I can’t remember a lot of the books I read at that time, since it has been twenty-five to thirty years since I read them, but some left a lasting impression.

Our library had a number of metal spinning racks and I distinctly remember finding almost all of the Horseclans books by Robert Adams in them. These aren’t traditional fantasy books because they are set in a world many years after an apocalypse. I don’t recall there being any magic, but there was an occasional bit of high technology thrown in. I can’t remember which of the eighteen volumes the library didn’t have, but I still remember the frustration I felt at not being able to read the entire series. I recall the books taking place over a long period of time, following a group of immortals and the people they were guiding. This allowed the author to have a large cast of characters, since of course the immortals outlived everyone as the years passed. Every once in a while I think about going back and getting the series so I can read them again and see if they are as good as I remember. They are old enough that they aren’t in the library any longer, but a quick search of Amazon shows that they are all available, in one form or another.

The Marketeers Club: The Zeal of Reading a YA Book

“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.” ―John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars

I work in book publishing and I love to read books. This should come as no surprise. Most people who know this about me probably think that I’ve been a book worm my whole life; why else would I seek a position in the book publishing world? That, however, couldn’t be further from the truth.

When I was younger I hated reading. You couldn’t pay me enough money to sit down with a book and read just for fun. I would only read if I had to for school. I was much too busy watching Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Rugrats, Boy Meets World and all the other great shows of the 1990s. Who had time for reading?

Then, in September 1998 something miraculous happened. J.K. Rowling wrote the story of a young boy named Harry Potter. All of a sudden reading had a whole new meaning. It didn’t have to be work; I could read for fun! The Harry Potter series transported me into an imaginary world. In this world, I learned to love and care about the characters. I read these stories and instantly wanted to know more. I locked myself in my room for hours just reading away, exploring the grounds at Hogwarts, and I wasn’t alone. The Harry Potter series is one of the best-selling series in history, with more than 450 million copies sold.

The Marketeers Club: Reading is fundamental—but struggling to become a priority

Tish Fobben is the direct response manager at the University of Nebraska Press. 

A recent Shelf Awareness newsletter headline caught my eye, “RIF Survey: Reading Important, but Not a Top Summer Priority.” Shelf Awareness reported “a new survey commissioned by Reading is Fundamental and Macy’s found that 17% of parents believe reading is a top summer priority and that children spend nearly three times the hours playing video games or watching TV than reading during summer vacation. . . . While summer reading may not be the top priority, 83% of respondents still considered it extremely/very important to them that their child reads this summer.”

I recognize the disconnect between “very important” and a “high priority” in my own life. I just don’t expect to see it in other’s. Books have a lot of competition out there and I have been repeatedly shocked (and insulted, I’m afraid) by how compelling a TV program, computer game, or Nook app is for our five-year-old daughter, in comparison to, say, a conversation with me.  

But as a book publisher and the parent of a young child, I have to believe that reading is fundamental. (And I do.) I’ve heard experts recommend that parents model reading during the day (since children are typically in bed before their parents settle down for their own reading). Although most parents of a young child can only fantasize about the luxury of reading during the day—there is nothing as powerful (or contagious) as behavior, good or bad. Since the summer solstice I resolved to “get caught reading” by my daughter. (The days are getting shorter now—there’s no daylight left to waste!) Reading during the day goes against my longtime, frustrating tendency to save the pleasure of reading until my bedtime, at which point I doze off after a few paragraphs—thus making an “extremely important goal” a low priority.

Remembering Frank Cashen

J. Frank Cashen was, at various times, executive vice president, chief operating officer, and general manager of the Baltimore Orioles in the ’60s and ’70s and the New York Mets from 1980 to 1991. His teams won three world championships in five World Series appearances and were runners up in three other league championship playoffs. He passed away on June 30, 2014.

In early 2013, Sports Editor Rob Taylor acquired Cashen's autobiography Winning in Both Leagues: Reflections from Baseball’s Front Office (September 2014). Below Taylor talks about the forthcoming book.

Working with the late Frank Cashen to help bring his book to life has truly been an honor. When Frank and his editor Jack Batty first queried me about the project, I was thrilled to have the chance to look at it, as his story offers much to baseball fans who want to know more about the game from one of the greatest GMs of the last 50 years. While he was best known for being the architect behind the Mets’ 1986 World Championship team, his run heading up the great Orioles teams from the 1960s and 70s should not be overlooked.

Aside from his great baseball story, what impressed me most about Frank’s rich story is the diversity of his accomplishments; he was quoted as saying he was “a writer by choice, a lawyer by education, a horseman by heritage, a brewery worker by necessity, and a baseball executive by good fortune.” Being blessed with good fortune runs through Frank’s story, as does humility, a relentless work ethic, and a warmhearted knack for managing people and earning their respect. As many of his former players have attested, he was a gentleman with great passion who had a great mind for the game, and it’s those qualities that come through on the pages of his book.

“The most versatile man I know; sports, music, writing, the law, he could do it all.”—Tim McCarver 

“When it came to baseball, Cashen had the magic touch.”—Nelson Doubleday Jr., former president of Doubleday and former owner of the New York Mets

“Frank Cashen, through shrewd trades and organizational development, put together two of the most complete pitching staffs in baseball history. Through the use of both the numbers and his great appreciation of the eyes and ears of the game (the scouts), Mr. Cashen assembled iconic franchises. Orioles and Mets fans applaud.”—Ron Darling, New York Mets pitcher in the 1980s

From the Desk of an Intern: Where I’ll Be May 29

Anne Nagel is a PhD student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, an intern at the press, and a collector of elephants.

What are you doing Thursday, May 29? I will be sitting in a shady garden courtyard attending a reading that I helped set up. As a student intern at the University of Nebraska Press, I had not expected that I would be pitching and executing my own ideas for a major project. Of course, I had hoped that I would be able to make a substantial contribution, preferably by using my writing skills, but I think I expected that I'd be doing more data entry and filing. I was pleasantly surprised when my supervisor gave me more of an opportunity to participate in the actual workings of Grants and Development.

When I was asked to brainstorm ideas for the Friends of the Press's involvement in Give to Lincoln Day (G2LD), I began the way I typically begin my graduate school projects—with research. Of course, starting with the basics, I learned that on G2LD, donations made to nonprofits are matched, in part, from a challenge fund and that one of these nonprofits, the Friends of the Press, helps UNP fund the publication of books.

I also discovered that on many of the nonprofits' fundraising webpages from last year's G2LD, the most engaging element was the video. What would showcase the vital work that the press does? Probably not a scene of a glasses-wearing editor quietly working at her desk or an image of a reader curled up with a good book in an overstuffed chair. And I doubted that a song-and-dance number or public flash mob would quite fit (although if any members of the staff are interested in choreographing one of these, I would love to see the footage).

After a casual brainstorming session with another supportive UNP colleague, Joel Puchalla, I had an epiphany. I suggested that we film Ted Kooser reading one of his poems and speaking about the press. I wasn't certain that we would be able to schedule a Pulitzer prize–winning former US Poet Laureate, even though he has published books with UNP and serves as a Friend of the Press. But we did! After a lot of emailing, schedule-coordinating, suggesting, and planning, I was able to see my idea take form, and it was thrilling. I got to be behind the scenes—watching the small team from UNL Broadcast Services execute their own version of feng shui-ing the room and maneuvering multiple cameras—although it was a bit nerve-wracking to be responsible for promptly flipping the cue cards.

Now I will have the opportunity to attend another author event that I pitched and helped coordinate. For the first time in the history of G2LD, the Lincoln Community Foundation is supplying their garden for nonprofits to host a day of events. So in addition to our video, we will also be able to host a live book reading by the award-winning author Joy Castro. She will be reading selections from the work she has published with UNP to help raise awareness for the Friends of the Press on G2LD.

I'm excited to work with yet another author whose works I admire, and I'm hoping that the day I've been preparing for is a success. At 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 29, I will be sitting in the Lincoln Community Foundation garden listening to Joy Castro (and possibly enjoying a snack from Colby Ridge, which is just across the street!), and I hope to see you there!

-Anne

The Marketeers Club: Do Not Eat Seeds

Erica Corwin is UNP's Electronic Marketing Coordinator. She likes to spend her free time memorizing 74 pages of roller derby rules. In her extra free time, she gardens.

I'm a bargain shopper, so when I ran across this beautiful hanging basket grow kit for $2.99, I couldn't resist!

I'm also a skeptic. I will be very surprised if my basket grows to be as beautiful as this picture, but for that price I was willing to take a chance! The steps were easy:

Step 1. Unpack the kit.

Step 2. Place the growing medium in a bowl and add eight cups of water.

The growing medium quickly soaked up the water-it was pretty neat!

Step 3. Add growing medium to planter and plant seeds. An important warning was also included: Do Not Eat Seeds!

The instructions note that germination will take 10-15 days. We're seven days in, and I have a couple of sprouts! (circled in the photograph below)

We'll see how the planter grows in the coming months. I'll provide updates!

While waiting on my beautiful hanging basket, I'll consult Your Midwest Garden: An Owner's Manual by Jan Riggenbach for help with the rest of my garden. Specifically written for the Midwest states, Jan covers annuals, perennials, wildflowers, bulbs, shrubs, vines, vegetables, fruits, and herbs, and she provides a month-by-month to-do list in the appendix. (You too can tackle garden chores in January and February!) I think the to-do lists are my favorite part of the book; they serve as practical guidelines when you're overwhelmed with the thought of what to do when. I also want to try some of her planting suggestions for late summer vegetables, like planting sweet corn in June or July and lettuces in August or September.

After the brutally cold Midwest winter, I think a lot of people are anxious to spend time in their gardens. Happy planting to all of the gardeners!

-Erica

People Make Publishing: Godzilla

Terence Smyre is UNP’s Journals Project Supervisor and he once bumped into the DMV (yes, the building) when he failed the driver’s test for the first time.

Godzilla. If you don't know who he is by now, you've failed a bit at life. Understand I'm not being mean; it's simply an objective truth. I'm not here to beat you up, though. I'm really a helpful guy.

So here's the lowdown for you uninitiated: Godzilla is a giant monster—think T. rex meets stegosaurus—created in the 1950s by the Toho Production Company in Japan as a response to the new nuclear realities confronting the world and their nation in particular. It's a wonderful movie and serious cinema (Scout's honor!). All the Godzilla movies since then have been primarily campy children's fare. But oh are they fun.

Well, kinda. If you grew up with them, which I did. I discovered Godzilla on TBS and on schlocky late-night local TV. Ever heard of Rockford, Illinois? In the mid-1980s someone who called himself Uncle Don (along with his hand puppet Sharky) would run the crappiest low-budget monster movies he could get his hands on. More often than not they were Godzilla flicks. The more I saw, the more I wanted, so my mom would kindly rent whatever ones she could find for me at the local video store.

There's healing power for a young boy in watching a giant monster stomp over everything with an indiscriminate verve. Maybe sometimes he's stomping for you. Maybe sometimes he's stomping on you. Either way, he's stomping. He's a big, green (gray maybe?), walking allegory. A symbol rife with subtext and loaded with meaning. And catharsis.

Which brings me to this sad fact: the first movie that ever made me cry was Godzilla 1985. I remember it quite well. That evening I was to take part in my class's Christmas concert, but there was no song in my heart that night I tell you. No. They had done it good this time. They lured my big, green monster friend into a volcano. With birdsong no less! It was horrifying. Godzilla is supposed to roar triumphantly, but that night he screamed. In pain. In fear. And so too did my little soul.

Cough. So yeah, I'm taking this afternoon to reconnect with my old friend, who once again finds himself in the theater. Here's hoping the only tears I shed this time are tears of joy.

-Terence

The Marketeers Club: Jewish American Heritage Month

Emily Giller is UNP's Exhibits Coordinator/Media Planner and has a secret talent for drawing and painting. 

On April 20, 2006, former president George W. Bush proclaimed that May would be Jewish American Heritage Month. This proclamation gave recognition to the history of the United States and the Jews that helped build that history.

Throughout the month of May we remember and commemorate Jewish American innovators, such as Albert Einstein. We celebrate the artists Marc Chagall, Barbra Streisand, Steven Spielberg, and Annie Leibovitz. And we pay tribute to the ground breakers, such as Hank Greenberg and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

As Elie Wiesel said, “I marvel at the resilience of the Jewish people. Their best characteristic is their desire to remember. No other people has such an obsession with memory.” It is with the memories of their past that the Jews can celebrate their achievements and the future those achievements provide.

I am proud to say that I work for a press that cares so deeply about the history of the Jewish people. The Jewish Publication Society (JPS), a partner of the University of Nebraska Press (UNP), has made promoting Jewish literacy its mission for more than 125 years, which is evident in the beautiful books that are published every year. From the shocking anti-Semitic images in Hatemail to the rituals mentioned in Bar Mitzvah: A History by Rabbi Michael Hilton, to the modern retelling of Talmud tales in A Bride for One Night by Israeli Knesset member, Ruth Calderon, JPS and UNP have helped give a voice to Jewish culture, issues, traditions, and heritage.

These books, plus so many others, help serve as a reminder of the past. The Jewish Book Council is also celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month by promoting its favorite Jewish titles.

Whether you read a book from our press or another press, it’s important to remember that every author has a unique tale to tell and we as readers need to take it upon ourselves to listen and learn from these stories. Whether they are stories about the Holocaust, tales about Jewish tradition, or even stories about Jews who have contributed to baseball history, there is something out there for everyone.

My challenge to you as a reader is to select a book that relates to Jewish history and consider how that particular story contributed to the history of the United States. It’s hard to appreciate what we have in the present if we can’t first recognize where it started in the past. 

-Emily 

The Marketeers Club: Exhibiting at the Nebraska Book Festival

Tish Fobben is UNP’s direct response manager and likes running long distances for the heck of it.

One of Nebraska’s many rites of spring is the Nebraska Book Festival, which is free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book, Humanities Nebraska, Nebraska Library Commission, Omaha Public Library, UNO’s College of Arts and Science, and Nebraska Cultural Endowment, this year the festival was held on April 24th and 25th.

After our marketing department spent Thursday and Friday moving offices, my colleague Emily Giller and I trekked to the sunny Thompson Alumni Center at University of Nebraska at Omaha on Friday night to set up UNP’s book exhibit. Though the exhibit hall did not officially open until Saturday morning, we hosted a few friendly visitors, who previewed the books before heading to the festival’s opening presentation by Don Welch, a native of Nebraska and winner of the Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry.

On Saturday morning my colleague Rob Buchanan joined me and we did our best to entice browsers with our promotional micro-fiber cloths (for cleaning glass surfaces) and a raffle to win $100 worth of free books. On this gorgeous yet ferociously windy Saturday I found myself grateful to be indoors, protected from the pollen and surrounded by good books and good books people. The workshops started at 9 a.m. with Karen Shoemaker leading a session called “Stories into Literature” and Tosca Lee heading up one called “Creating Unforgettable Characters in Fiction.” The traffic in the exhibits hall got off to a slow start, but the people who came were very engaged with all the vendors, which included Backwaters Press, Barefoot Books, Jeff Barnes and Paul Hedron, Bookworm, Brighthorse Books, Cableone (Barbara Schmitz), Fine Lines Publishing (David Martin), Nancy Isom, Morris Publishing, the Nebraska Writers Guild, University of Nebraska Press, and Wayne State Press.

Throughout the afternoon visitors were able to attend readings from a host of authors, including Lucy Adkins, David S. Atkinson, Becky Breed, Paul Dickey, Marcia Calhoun Forecki, A. E. Fairfield, Nancy Isom, Lisa Kovanda, Kent Krause, Tosca Lee, Kelly Madigan, John Price, Jim Reisdorff, Marge Saiser, Mary K. Stillwell, Brian Thomas, Benjamin Vogt, Darrell Wendt, and Eileen Wirth.

Three of the presenters were UNP authors: John Price (Not Just Any Land: A Personal and Literary Journey into the American Grasslands); Mary K. Stillwell (The Life and Poetry of Ted Kooser); and Eileen Wirth (From Society Page to Front Page: Nebraska Women in Journalism). I personally enjoyed hearing Price read from his new book, Daddy Long Legs: The Natural Education of a Father (Trumpeter, 2013), in which he recounts rescuing a praying mantis outside a restaurant at his young child’s request. His wonderfully wry memoir was precipitated by a “heart event” at age thirty-nine that caused him to reevaluate the trajectory of his life.

Dr. Strangeolve, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Typo

Kyle Simonsen is an Assistant Project Editor who loves scotch, hip hop, and mowing the lawn.

I still remember finding my first typo. I don’t remember the book now, though given that I was about twelve or so, I’m sure it was some sci-fi paperback; I read a lot of those then. Nor do I remember what the error was. What I do remember is feeling a sort of confusion at the error, and then a dawning awareness that mistakes like those I sloppily made at school (somehow misspelling “bump” on a spelling test B-U-M-B is one my mother still teases me about) could make their way into the books I read. This revelation was quickly followed by a sense of superiority: I’d caught a mistake that the author had missed! I knew more than this guy! I’m sure some authors will tell you that their editors have their chests as puffed today as I did when I was twelve, but I sure hope I’m not one of them now.

Today, of course, I find mistakes much more frequently. As a project editor at the press, I am tasked with finding mistakes in manuscripts, sometimes mistakes authors don’t even know they are making, and figuring out the best way to correct the problem before some uppity twelve-year-old finds it in the finished book.

The reality is that errors still often make their way into the final product. Sometimes they are rather embarrassing. In one instance, we accidently referred to a gentleman in a book’s introduction as “the late” Mr. So-and-So even though he was quite alive! Though he was a good sport about it, we quickly corrected the text for the second edition.

I’m comforted by the knowledge that we at UNP aren’t the only ones making mistakes. Even the Chicago Manual of Style—that nigh-holy book by which every good book editor swears—has mixed-up words and wrong page locators in its index.

In truth, no work is ever really complete. For as long as readers are eager for new material, works get revised and added onto, with new introductions, extra appendices, and so on, and yes, small corrections do get made.

When I talk to authors who are concerned after proofreading the manuscript for the last time and who know they won’t see the text again, this is what I tell them: Our goal shouldn’t be to remove every miniscule error from a book, as much as we might want to. Our goal should be to have crafted the most functional, enjoyable, and beautiful text possible for readers. If we’ve done that, then those savvy enough won’t begrudge us a missing comma or a dangling modifier. They’ll be too busy loving their new book.

The editorial, design and production department at the press goes through a book several times, as I tell authors: we develop the text, format it, copyedit it, design it, typeset it, and proofread it, at each stage looking carefully at each element of the book. At the end of that process, the biggest errors are fixed, I know, and those slight slip-ups that may remain are usually noticed only by the author and editor. And perhaps a cheeky twelve-year-old who will realize that he might someday make a good editor too.

-Kyle