Turn over a new leaf and check out some new literary events! If you’re looking for something to do in November, here are some upcoming literary events* that may pique your interest!
November 1, 2024 First Friday Book Talk & Reading with William Trowbridge Zoom, 12:00 pm William Trowbridge holds a B.A. in Philosophy and an M.A. in English from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a PH.D. in English from Vanderbilt University. He served as Poet Laureate of the State of Missouri from 2012-2016. He is a Distinguished University Professor Emeritus at Northwest Missouri State University, where he was an editor of The Laurel Review/GreenTower Press from 1986 to 2004. Now living in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, he teaches in the University of Nebraska Omaha MFA in Writing Program.
November 1, 2024 Book Launch Event with Katie Anania – “Print/Draw: An Experiment on Paper” Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th St. Lincoln, 5:30 – 7:30 pm Join us to celebrate the release of Out of Paper: Drawing, Environment, and the Body in 1960s America, as art historian Katie Anania and artist Sophie Isaak present a durational performance that combines drawing, printmaking, and ecological thinking. Visitors are welcome to participate!
November 2, 2024 Glorious Dailiness with Erica Reid Zoom, 10:00 – 11:30 am As poet Mary Ruefle says, “I did not always know authors were ordinary people living ordinary lives.” What do we lose when we fail to celebrate — or worse, ignore! — the wondrous details of ordinary life? This generative workshop makes space for that celebration through conversation, example poems, and dedicated writing time with prompts to help capture the details of our own glorious dailiness.
November 3, 2024 Meet the (Flatwater Free) Press with Matthew Hansen Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th St. Lincoln, 2:00 – 3:00 pm Matthew Hansen, editor of the Flatwater Free Press will talk journalism, hear story ideas, and also to hand out an actual physical newspaper, their annual FFP Commemorative Edition. Matthew has selected a couple of his favorite Nebraska books, by FFP correspondents and FFP-connected authors like Carson Vaughan, Joe Starita, Ted Genoways, and more. 10% of the proceeds go to Flatwater Free Press!
November 5, 2024 Kassandra Montag Poetry Reading and Discussion Zoom, 6:30 – 7:30 pm Kassandra’s poetry is equal parts meditation, lamentation, and celebration with an unflinching look at how, for many women, our deepest desires are almost always at odds with the lives we’ve chosen or been given.
November 7, 2024 Verse & Vibes Open Mic Night Indigo Cottage Crafts, 2063 Creekside Dr. Papillion, 6:30 pm The first Thursday of every month we open the mic at an artsy space full of good vibes, and not just because of the coffee and liquor bar! Event is open to poets, authors, writers, musicians, anyone who has talent to share. Free event.
November 9 & 16, 2024 Nebraska Warrior Writers – Omaha Workshops Nebraska Wildlife Rehab’s Baldwin Conference Room, 9777 M St. Omaha, 10:00 am – 12:00 Noon A workshop designed to help veterans and active duty military personnel express their thoughts and feelings in words. Participants need only be interested in writing in any form – they do not need to have any previous writing experience to benefit from the workshops. Facilitated by professional writing instructors, the workshops consist of six to eight biweekly sessions focused on developing strategies and skills. Facilitated by Jen Stastny and Cindy Cronn.
November 9 & 16, 2024 Nebraska Warrior Writers – Lincoln Workshops Pius X High School Conference Room, 6000 A St. (West Entrance 11) Lincoln, 9:00 – 11:00 am A workshop designed to help veterans and active duty military personnel express their thoughts and feelings in words. Participants need only be interested in writing in any form – they do not need to have any previous writing experience to benefit from the workshops. Facilitated by professional writing instructors, the workshops consist of six to eight biweekly sessions focused on developing strategies and skills. Facilitated by Tom Seib.
November 9, 2024 Visiting Contributors – Patricia Miller, Michael M. Bartels, and James J. Reisdorff – “Train Photos from Nebraska: The Vernacular Rail Images of Fred Ritter Jr.” Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th St. Lincoln, 4:30 – 5:30 pm Join us as we welcome contributors, Patricia Miller, Michael Bartels, and James Reisdorff, of the book Train Photos from Nebraska! Fred Ritter Jr. was a Swiss immigrant farmer living near Tilden, Neb., in the early 20th century, who was also a railroad enthusiast who took snapshot-quality images of trains. The story tells of time and place as interpreted by Fred Ritter, Jr. through photography. It also tells of Fred’s love for both trains and family, and how the two intertwined.
November 10, 2024 Annual Harvest of Words Poetry Open Mic St. Cecilia’s Parish Center, 39th and Burt St. Omaha, 2:00 – 4:00 pm Open mic poetry event with refreshments! Our year end event, bring a poem by your favorite author or your own original poems.
November 10, 2024 25th Annual Laureate’s Feast Gala Gallery 1516, 1516 Leavenworth St. Omaha, 5:30 – 8:30 pm Join us for the 25th Annual Laureate’s Feast Gala, the John G. Neihardt Foundation’s only fundraiser of the year, honoring Walt and Linda Duda as Word Senders! Spend the evening dining on a mouth-watering meal prepared by Native American Chef Anthony Warrior, drinking a selection of fine wines, bidding on enviable auction items, and enjoying a short program emceed by Mike Kelly (author and retired Omaha World Herald columnist). Best of all, you’ll be supporting the work of the Neihardt Foundation! Please purchase tickets by October 31, 2024.
November 12, 2024 On Writing Presents: Charlene Donaghy Benson Theatre, 6054 Maple St. Omaha, 6:00 pm Every second Tuesday of the month, join us in the BT lobby for an intimate conversation and reading with local authors of all disciplines from poetry to plays and more. This month we welcome playwright Charlene Donaghy for a special reading of her newest work. Charlene writes stories which transport her audiences and readers into the magic embraces… and beyond.
November 13, 2024 UNO Writer’s Workshop with Michael Hofarce Benson Theatre, 6054 Maple St. Omaha, 7:00 pm Michael Hofacre is a film editor living in Los Angeles. He has been part of the editing team on over 50 film, television, and documentary projects, working alongside directors such as Danny DeVito, Jodie Foster, Milos Forman, Michael Mann, Tran Anh Hung, Judd Apatow and Adam McKay. Independent films include The Performance, Winter in the Blood, Frankie Go Boom, and Shelter. Documentaries include Oceania, Soros, Political Animals, and Walking Man. He also directs theatre for the Central Coast Shakespeare Festival and his writing has been rejected by The Paris Review, The New Yorker, and Cahiers du Cinema. He studied theatre at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.
November 14, 2024 Resonance Beat Poetry Jam Razor Wire Productions Art Gallery & Tattoo, 1808 Vinton St. Omaha, 7:00 pm Wanna try your hand at pairing your writing with music? Or maybe you’ve just never had the sublime experience of hearing the fusion? Either way, we would like to invite you! Named The Resonance for the beautiful ways these artforms play off one another. Sponsored by the Nebraska Poetry Society.
November 20, 2024 Vocal Fry Shirley Tyree Theater, 2401 N 24th St. Omaha, 6:00 pm Vocal Fry is normally on the 3rd Thursday of every month, we had to move the date for November. Jewel Rodgers and Nathan Lachner, MCs with special feature: Johnny KnoGood. Vocal Fry is presented in collaboration with The Nebraska Poetry Society.
November 21, 2024 Slam Made Simple: A Practical Approach to Competitive Poetry Larksong Writers Place, 1600 N. Cotner Blvd. Lincoln, 1:30 – 3:30 pm This workshop aims to provide insight into slam poetry. From the page to the stage, this includes writing, performance, and strategies for competitive success at a poetry slam. This workshop offers a comprehensive overview to all levels of poets. From inexperienced performers to the seasoned slammers, we will provide key takeaways for spoken word performance that can be utilized beyond this workshop. Instructed by Esman Rodas Calderon, a slam poet based in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Check out the NCB Calendar to stay up to date on upcoming literary events happening near you!
*The time, date, and location of these events are subject to change. Some of this month’s events, workshops, or conferences may require registration or charge a fee. Feel free to contact us if you have an event that you would like to be featured.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Tessa Timperley 402-471-3434 800-307-2665
The Long March Home: A World War II Novel of the Pacific Chosen as 2025 One Book One Nebraska
People across Nebraska are encouraged to read the work of a Nebraskan — and then talk about it with their friends and neighbors. The Long March Home: A World War II Novel of the Pacific (Revell, 2023) by Marcus Brotherton and Tosca Lee is the 2025 One Book One Nebraska selection.
The Long March Home is a historical fiction novel inspired by true stories of friendship, sacrifice, and hope on the Bataan Death March.
From the Inside Cover:
Jimmy Propfield joined the army for two reasons: to get out of Mobile, Alabama, with his best friends Hank and Billy and to forget his high school sweetheart, Claire.
Life in the Philippines seems like paradise–until the morning of December 8, 1941, when news comes from Manila: Imperial Japan has bombed Pearl Harbor. Within hours, the teenage friends are plunged into war as enemy warplanes attack Luzon, beginning a battle for control of the Pacific theater that will culminate with a last stand on the Bataan Peninsula and end with the largest surrender of American troops in history.
What follows will become known as one of the worst atrocities in modern warfare: the Bataan Death March. With no hope of rescue, the three friends vow to make it back home together. But the ordeal is only the beginning of their nearly four-year fight to survive.
Marcus Brotherton is a New York Times bestselling author and coauthor, with fiveNew York Timesbestsellers, seven national bestsellers, and four books have been optioned for movies. He was born in British Columbia and earned degrees at Multnomah University in Portland and Biola University in Los Angeles. He currently lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and children.
Tosca Lee is the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of twelve books. Those awards include three International Book Awards, and a Nebraska Book Award for her thriller The Line Between and it’s sequel A Single Light. She received her B.A. from Smith College and currently lives in Nebraska with her husband, three of four children still at home, and her 160-lb. German Shepherd, Timber.
Libraries across Nebraska will join other literary and cultural organizations in planning book discussions, activities, and events that will encourage Nebraskans to read and discuss this book. Support materials to assist with local reading/discussion activities will be available after January 1, 2025 at http://onebook.nebraska.gov. Updates and activity listings will be posted on the One Book One Nebraska Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/onebookonenebraska.
2025 will mark the twenty-first year of the One Book One Nebraska reading program, sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book. It encourages Nebraskans across the state to read and discuss one book, chosen from books written by Nebraska authors or that have a Nebraska theme or setting. The Nebraska Center for the Book invites recommendations for One Book One Nebraska book selection year-round at http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/obon-nomination.asp.
One Book One Nebraska is sponsored by Nebraska Center for the Book, Humanities Nebraska, and Nebraska Library Commission. The Nebraska Center for the Book brings together the state’s readers, writers, booksellers, librarians, publishers, printers, educators, and scholars to build the community of the book, supporting programs to celebrate and stimulate public interest in books, reading, and the written word. The Nebraska Center for the Book is housed at and supported by the Nebraska Library Commission.
As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services, “bringing together people and information.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Tessa Timperley 402-471-3434 800-307-2665
Young Readers Invited to Write to Favorite Authors
Young readers in grades 4-12 are invited to write a personal letter to an author for the Nebraska Letters about Literature (LAL) contest, a state reading and writing promotion program. The letter can be to any author (living or dead) from any genre: fiction or nonfiction, contemporary or classic – explaining how that author’s work changed the student’s view of the world. Submissions must be completed online October 1 – December 31, 2024. Nebraska Letters About Literature is coordinated and sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book and the Nebraska Library Commission, with support from Lincoln City Libraries, Francie & Finch Bookshop, and Humanities Nebraska.
The Nebraska Center for the Book’s panel of judges will select a winner and an honorable mention per competition level (Level I for grades 4-6, Level II for grades 7-8, and Level III for grades 9-12) to be honored in a proclamation-signing ceremony at the state capitol during National Library Week in April 2025. Their winning letters will be placed in the Jane Pope Geske Heritage Room of Nebraska Authors at Bennett Martin Public Library in Lincoln. Nebraska winners and honorable mentions will receive state prizes.
Teachers, librarians, and parents can download the contest guidelines, free teaching materials, information on the online entry system, and past winning letters on the Nebraska Center for the Book website. An informational NCompass Live webinar will air on October 23rd, discussing this year’s contest, the submission process, and judging criteria. For more information contact Nebraska Center for the Book.
The Nebraska Center for the Book is housed at the Nebraska Library Commission and brings together the state’s readers, writers, booksellers, librarians, publishers, printers, educators, and scholars to build the community of the book, supporting programs to celebrate and stimulate public interest in books, reading, and the written word. The Nebraska Center for the Book is supported by the national Center for the Book in the Library of Congress and the Nebraska Library Commission.
As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services, “bringing together people and information.”
