Author Archives: Kayla Henzel

February 2023 Events

Posted on January 30, 2023 by Kayla Henzel

February is coming fast! Check out the NCB Calendar to see what events happening near you this month!

The location, date, and times of the events are subject to change. Some events may require prior registration or charge a fee.

Contact us if you have an event that you would like to be featured on the NCB Calendar!

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Literary Events in January 2023

Posted on December 30, 2022 by Kayla Henzel

The new year is right around the corner! Check out the NCB Calendar to see a list of events happening near you and across the state of Nebraska in January 2023!

The location, date, and times of the events are subject to change. Some events may require prior registration or charge a fee.

Contact us if you have an event that you would like to be featured on the NCB Calendar!

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December Literary Events

Posted on November 28, 2022 by Kayla Henzel

December is coming up fast! If you’re looking for something to do in the coming month, check out the NCB Calendar! See what literary events are happening near you.

The time, date, and location of these events are subject to change. Some events, workshops, or conferences may charge a fee or require prior registration.

Contact us if you have an event that you would like to be featured on the NCB Calendar!

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Literary Events in November

Posted on November 1, 2022 by Kayla Henzel

Happy first day of November! Check out the NCB Calendar to see what events are happening near you this month.

The location, date, and times of the events are subject to change. Some events may require prior registration or charge a fee.

Contact us if you have an event that you would like to be featured on the NCB Calendar!

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“The Mystery of Hunting’s End” Chosen as 2023 One Book One Nebraska

Posted on October 24, 2022 by Kayla Henzel

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 24, 2022

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Tessa Terry
402-471-3434
800-307-2665

The Mystery of Hunting’s End Chosen as 2023 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 Mystery of Hunting’s End (Bison Books, 1998) by Mignon Eberhart is the 2023 One Book One Nebraska selection.

The Mystery of Hunting’s End is a 1930s chiller, inspired and set in the Sand Hills of Nebraska, where Mignon G. Eberhart lived as a newlywed. Smack in the middle of the rolling desolation is Hunting’s End, a weekend lodge owned by the rich Kingery family. To that place socialite Matil Kingery invites a strange collection of guests — the same people who were at the lodge when her father died of “heart failure” exactly five years ago. She intends to find out which one of them murdered him. The selection committee for the 2023 One Book One Nebraska enjoyed the concept of a mystery. This is a book that keeps the reader guessing as to who is behind the murders taking place in a lodge outside of Valentine during a blizzard. Why were these murders committed, are any of the guests staying at the lodge safe, and who is the killer? The book is full of colorful characters, including Nurse Sarah Keate and detective Lance O’Leary. The reader is challenged to find clues that will lead to the discovery of who is the guilty party. Mignon G. Eberhart was born and raised in Lincoln, NE. She had a long and celebrated career, writing a total of 59 novels, earning her the Grand Master Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America. She died at the age of ninety-seven in 1996. 

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, 2023 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.

2023 will mark the nineteenth 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.”

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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.    

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Shortlist for 2023 One Book One Nebraska Announce

Posted on October 14, 2022 by Kayla Henzel

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 14, 2022

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Tessa Terry
402-471-3434
800-307-2665

Shortlist for 2023 One Book One Nebraska Announced

What book will all Nebraskans be encouraged to read in 2023? We will all find out on October 22nd at the Celebration of Nebraska Books. Two generational family novels by a Nebraska authors, a nonfiction work on POW camps in Nebraska, a mystery set in the Sand Hills —all stories with ties to Nebraska and the Great Plains—are the finalists for the 2023 One Book One Nebraska statewide reading program. The finalists are:

  • Haven’s Wake by Ladette Randolph, Bison Books, 2013.
  • The Mystery of Hunting’s End by Mignon Eberhart, Bison Books, 1998.
  • Nebraska POW Camps: A History of World War II Prisoners in the Heartland by Melissa Amateis Marsh, The History Press (Arcadia Publishing), 2014.
  • The Plain Sense of Things by Pamela Carter Joern, Bison Books, 2008.

The One Book One Nebraska reading program, now in its nineteenth year, is sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book, Humanities Nebraska, and Nebraska Library Commission. It encourages Nebraskans across the state to read and discuss the same book, chosen from books written by Nebraska authors or that have a Nebraska theme or setting. A Nebraska Center for the Book committee selected the three finalists from a list of twenty-eight titles nominated by Nebraskans. In the coming weeks, Nebraska Center for the Book board members will vote on the 2023 selection.

The Celebration of Nebraska Books, on October 22nd, will also honor winners of the 2022 Jane Geske and Mildred Bennett awards. The 2022 Mildred Bennett Award will be presented to Lois Todd-Meyer. The award recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to fostering the literary tradition in Nebraska, reminding us of the literary and intellectual heritage that enriches our lives and molds our world. The 2022 Jane Geske Award will be presented to the Nebraska Writers Collective, a Nebraska organization known for exceptional contributions to literacy, books, reading, libraries, and literature in Nebraska. It commemorates Geske’s passion for books, and was established in recognition of her contributions to the well-being of the libraries of Nebraska.

Nebraskans are invited to take part in the Celebration of Nebraska Books on October 22nd, at the Nebraska History Museum in downtown Lincoln, where the choice for the 2023 One Book One Nebraska will be announced. This year’s One Book One Nebraska selection will be featured in a key note presentation by author Jonis Agee on her novel The Bones of Paradise (William Morrow, 2018.) See http://onebook.nebraska.gov or https://www.facebook.com/OneBookOneNebraska for more information about ongoing 2022 One Book One Nebraska activities.

The Celebration of Nebraska Books will include readings by the winners of the 2022 Nebraska Book Awards,with book signings by the authors after the event. A list of Nebraska Book Award winners is posted at http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/awards.html. The Celebration of Nebraska Books is sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book and Nebraska Library Commission with support from History Nebraska’s Nebraska History Museum. Humanities Nebraska provides support for the One Book One Nebraska keynote presentation.

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.”

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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.    

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October Literary Events

Posted on September 27, 2022 by Kayla Henzel

October is right around the corner! Check out the NCB Calendar to see a list of events happening near you and across the state of Nebraska.

The location, date, and times of the events are subject to change. Some events may require prior registration or charge a fee.

Contact us if you have an event that you would like to be featured on the NCB Calendar!

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Celebrate Nebraska’s 2022 Book Award Winners

Posted on September 19, 2022 by Kayla Henzel

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 19, 2022

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Tessa Terry
402-471-3434
800-307-2665

Celebrate Nebraska’s 2022 Book Award Winners

Celebrate Nebraska’s 2022 Book Award winners with author readings and an awards presentation ceremony at the Nebraska Center for the Book’s Celebration of Nebraska Books. Held at the Nebraska History Museum on October 22nd, winners of the 2022 Nebraska Book Awards will be honored and the celebration will include readings by some of the winning authors, designers and illustrators of books with a Nebraska connection published in 2021. And the winners are:

Children’s Best Continuing Series: George Meets His Match by Kristin Bauer Ganoung, illustrated by K. E. Gadeken. Publisher: Prairieland Press

Youth Book: Rhinos in Nebraska: The Amazing Discovery of the Ashfall Fossil Beds by Alison Pearce Stevens, illustrated by Matt Huynh. Publisher: Godwin Books, Henry Holt Company

Cover and Design: After One Hundred Winters: In Search of Reconciliation on America’s Stolen Lands by Margaret D. Jacobs. Publisher: Princeton University Press

Illustration: Rhinos in Nebraska: The Amazing Discovery of the Ashfall Fossil Beds by Alison Pearce Stevens, illustrated by Matt Huynh. Publisher: Godwin Books, Henry Holt Company

Fiction: The Perfume Thief by Timothy Schaffert. Publisher: Doubleday

Nonfiction Biography: The Only Wonderful Things: The Creative Partnership of Willa Cather & Edith Lewis by Melissa J. Homestead. Publisher: Oxford University Press

Nonfiction Biography Honor: Time in the Wilderness: The Formative Years of John “Black Jack” Pershing in the American West by Dr. Tim McNeese. Publisher: Potomac Books

Nonfiction Health and Fitness: Fuel Your Body: How to Cook and Eat for Peak Performance by Angie Asche. Publisher: Agate Publishing

Nonfiction Natural History: Rhinos in Nebraska: The Amazing Discovery of the Ashfall Fossil Beds by Alison Pearce Stevens, illustrated by Matt Huynh. Publisher: Godwin Books, Henry Holt Company

Nonfiction Nebraska as Place: Nebraska Golf: Out of the Shadows by Stu Pospisil. Publisher: Omaha World Herald

Nonfiction Popular History: Patient Zero: A Curious History of the World’s Worst Diseases by Lydia Kang and Nate Pedersen. Publisher: Workman Publishing Company

Poetry: The Way of Things by Shannon Vesely. Publisher: Rogue Faculty Press

Poetry Honor: Unholy Heart by Grace Bauer. Publisher: The Backwaters Press

Special Poetry: More in Time: A Tribute to Ted Kooser by Jessica Poli, Marco Abel, Timothy Schaffert. Publisher: University of Nebraska Press

The Celebration of Nebraska Books, on October 22nd, will also honor winners of the 2022 Jane Geske and Mildred Bennett awards. The Mildred Bennett Award recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to fostering the literary tradition in Nebraska, reminding us of the literary and intellectual heritage that enriches our lives and molds our world. The Jane Geske Award is presented to a Nebraska organization for exceptional contribution to literacy, books, reading, libraries, or literature in Nebraska. It commemorates Geske’s passion for books, and was established in recognition of her contributions to the well-being of the libraries of Nebraska.

The 2022 One Book One Nebraska selection, The Bones of Paradise: A Novel by Jonis Agee (William Morrow, 2016) will be featured in a keynote presentation by the author. The introduction of the 2023 One Book One Nebraska book choice will conclude the festivities.

The Celebration of Nebraska Books is sponsored by Nebraska Center for the Book and the Nebraska Library Commission, with support from History Nebraska’s Nebraska History Museum. Humanities Nebraska provides support for One Book One Nebraska. 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.”

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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.    

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Great Reads from Great Places Online Panel with Nebraska’s Astronaut Clayton Anderson

Posted on September 2, 2022 by Kayla Henzel

Letters in Space by Astronaut Clayton Anderson was chosen to represent Nebraska at the 2022 National Book Festival. Nebraska’s Great Reads from Great Places book was chosen from its 2021 Nebraska Book Award winners.

Author Clayton Anderson took part in an online panel conversation with other chosen authors from state Centers for the Book in the Midwest Region. He talked about his book, what inspired him, what he likes most about Nebraska, and more.

Astronaut Clayton Anderson is Nebraska’s only Astronaut. He spent 167 days in space and 38 hours and 28 minutes in executing 6 spacewalks. He applied 15 times before NASA selected him as an Astronaut in 1998. He spent 30 years working for NASA, 15 as an engineer and then 15 as an Astronaut.

Astronaut Clayton “Astro Clay” Anderson is the author of three children’s books; Letters from Space, A is for Astronaut: Blasting through the Alphabet, and It’s a Question of Space: An Ordinary Astronaut’s Answers to Sometimes Extraordinary Questions, and his award winning memoir, The Ordinary Spaceman.

Find out more about Astro Clay and his current and upcoming books at www.AstroClay.com. Follow him on social media @Astro_Clay

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Check out the Library of Congress’ YouTube channel for other videos from the 2022 National Book Festival.

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Literary Events in September

Posted on August 30, 2022 by Kayla Henzel

September is only a few days away! If you’re looking for something to do in the upcoming month, check out the NCB Calendar. See what literary events are happening near you.

The time, date, and location of these events are subject to change. Some workshops, events, or conferences may charge a fee or require prior registration.

Contact us if you have an event that you would like to be featured on the NCB Calendar!

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