Category Archives: Events

Celebrate Nebraska’s 2021 Book Award Winners

Posted on September 15, 2021 by Kayla Henzel

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 15, 2021

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

Celebrate Nebraska’s 2021 Book Award Winners

Celebrate Nebraska’s 2021 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 23rd, winners of the 2021 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 2020. And the winners are:

Children’s Picture Book: Letters from Space by Clayton Anderson, Illustrated by Susan Batori. Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press

Design: Sy’s Barbershop and Pool Hall: New and Selected Poems and Paintings by Jay D. Gerber. Publisher: Infusionmedia

Illustration: Lily Discovers People are Like Donuts by Rob Otte, Illustrated by Carey Goddard. Publisher: Jelly Donut Publishing

Illustration Honor: The Day We Went to the Park by Linda Stephen and Christine Manno, origami artwork by Linda Stephen. Publisher: Handersen Publishing

Fiction: The Brightest Place in the World by David Philip Mullins. Publisher: University of Nevada Press

Nonfiction Legal History: A Question of Freedom: The Families Who Challenged Slavery from the Nation’s Founding to the Civil War by William G. Thomas III. Publisher: Yale University Press

Nonfiction Memoir: Dancing with the Octopus: A Memoir of a Crime by Debora Harding. Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Nonfiction Memoir Honor: Yards After Contact – Team Jack: Scoring a Touchdown Against Childhood Brain Cancer by Andrew Hoffman, foreword by Rex Burkhead. Publisher: Nico 11 Publishing and Design

Nonfiction Military History: A Mighty Force for Peace: A History of the Former Lincoln Air Force Base by Robert M. Branting. Publisher: Infusionmedia

Nonfiction Nebraska History: Never Caught Twice: Horse Stealing in Western Nebraska, 1850-1890 by Matthew S. Luckett. Publisher: University of Nebraska Press

Nonfiction Nebraska as Place: Cut in Stone, Cast in Bronze: Nebraska’s Historical Markers and Monuments, 1854-1967 by Jeff Barnes. Publisher: The Donning Company Publishers

Nonfiction Solidarity: American Harvest: God, Country, and Farming in the Heartland by Marie Mutsuki Mockett. Publisher: Graywolf Press

Nonfiction Urban History: My Omaha Obsession: Searching for the City by Miss Cassette, foreword by Chris Ware. Publisher: Bison Books

Poetry: Two-Toned Dress Lucy Adkins. Publisher: Blue Light Press

Poetry Honor: Forever War by Kate Gaskin. Publisher: YesYes Books

The Celebration of Nebraska Books, on October 23rd, will also honor winners of the 2021 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 2021 One Book One Nebraska selection, Prairie Forge: The Extraordinary Story of the Nebraska Scrap Metal Drive of World War II by James J. Kimble (Bison Books, 2014) will be featured in a keynote presentation by the author. The introduction of the 2022 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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“Your Bridge to History” by Portia and Preston Love, Jr. to Represent Nebraska at National Book Festival

Posted on September 3, 2021 by Kayla Henzel

A children’s picture book that encourages children to know their history will represent Nebraska at the 2021 National Book Festival. The Nebraska Center for the Book selected Your Bridge to History by Portia Love and Preston Love, Jr. (‎Preston Publishing, 2019) as the state’s selection for the National Book Festival’s Great Reads from Great Places programing. Each state selects one book about the state, or by an author from the state, that is a good read for children or young adults. The book will be featured in the Great Reads from Great Places – History Edition author panel, which will be available September 17th on the websites of both the National Book Festival and Nebraska Center for the Book. The National Book Festival will run Sept. 17-26, with the theme “Open a Book, Open the World.”

This book, written by Portia and Preston Love, Jr. and illustrated by Regina Jeanpierre, takes you along with the Black Votes Matter Tour across the American South. The characters tour sites where individuals and organizations focus on Civil Rights, Voting Rights, and Black History in the United States. Beautiful illustrations depict the pictures the tour participants experienced along the way. QR codes are included to take readers to websites that are important to further learning. Nebraska’s Great Reads from Great Places book is chosen from the previous year’s Nebraska Book Award winners and this book was awarded the 2020 Nebraska Book Award in the Children’s Picture Book category. Entries for the Nebraska Book Awards are accepted every year between March 1st and June 30th – see http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/awards/nebookawards.html.

The National Book Festival will feature virtual and live presentations by award-winning authors, poets, and illustrators. One such featured author is Nebraskan, Roxanne Gay. Gay’s presentation will be available September 17th on the festival’s Video On-Demand page. We encourage all Nebraskans to tune in for both author talks and experience two voices representing our state’s literary heritage. Find out more about the 2021 National Book Festival (including a list of featured authors) at www.loc.gov/events/2021-national-book-festival/about-this-event/.  

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 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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Events in September

Posted on September 1, 2021 by Kayla Henzel

Happy first day of September! Check out the NCB Calendar to see what new opportunities and 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 registration prior to the event.

Due to the current pandemic, some venues may require you to follow social distancing practices as well as wear a face covering.

Please contact us if you have an event that you think should be featured on the NCB Calendar!

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August Literary Events

Posted on July 29, 2021 by Kayla Henzel

A new month is quickly approaching! That means new opportunities and new literary events happening near you. Check out the NCB calendar to see what events are going on near you and across the state!

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 posted on the NCB calendar!

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Events in July

Posted on June 28, 2021 by Kayla Henzel

A new month is on its way! Ready for some new literary events? Keep up with the NCB calendar to see what events and opportunities 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.

If you have an event that you would like to be posted on the NCB calendar, feel free to contact us!

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June Literary Events

Posted on May 28, 2021 by Kayla Henzel

June is right around the corner! A new month brings new opportunities and new literary events near you. Take a look at the NCB calendar to see what’s happening across the state this month.

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

Contact us if you have an event that you would like to be shared!

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Literary Events in May

Posted on April 28, 2021 by Kayla Henzel

The month of May is quickly approaching! That means new and exciting literary events near you.

Check out the NCB calendar on our website to see what events are happening in your area and across the state of Nebraska.

Some events or workshops may require prior registration or charge a fee. The time, date, and location of the events featured on the NCB calendar are subject to change.

Due to COVID-19, some events may be cancelled, postponed, or shifted to an online/virtual formal. In addition, some venues may require you to follow social distancing practices as well as wear a face covering.

Feel free to contact us if you have an event that you would like to be featured on the NCB calendar!

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Kwame Dawes and the Poetry Foundation reintroduce American Life in Poetry

Posted on April 6, 2021 by Kayla Henzel

by Editor | Lake County News

Award-winning poet, author, and editor Kwame Dawes, PhD, has published his first weekly column as American Life in Poetry editor, in partnership with the Poetry Foundation and University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and relaunches a new and engaging website to connect people to poetry through interests, geography, and representation.

Dawes carries the column forward after founding editor and curator, Ted Kooser, retired after 15 years as project creator and editor.

The first poem featured is “They Dance Through Granelli’s” by Pat Emile — an homage to the recently retired editorial assistant of the project for 15 years.

Dawes seeks to maintain, and expand the original vision for the column by continuing to reach readers through local news media outlets, as well as subscribers to the newsletter that publishes weekly on Mondays.

“This column is rooted in the everyday, the broad sense of Americanness that eschews elitism and that embraces a democratic sense of lives that make sense to a vast cross section of the population,” Dawes said. “I welcome readers who can engage in a wide section of American life, can find poetry that speaks to various aspects of American existence, and that somehow embraces the full range of this America.”

Along with a completely refreshed visual statement, the website features increased browsing and discovery capabilities, new photography, and an increased social media presence. Front and center allows users the ability to browse past columns by theme and region.

“The site allows for readers to dig deeper into what they may see in the newsletter or on social media,” Dawes said. “We want readers to stay on the site for awhile and get comfortable with poetry, or to find new ways to engage with poems whether that’s through a love of sports or geography.”

Dawes hopes new readers will connect with American Life in Poetry by finding columns that are approachable and speak to their interests, particularly for new poetry readers.

With over 60 different themes that can be combined while searching, users can find a poem that speaks to gardening and unrequited love from the archive which includes more than 800 poems.

Dawes is the author of 22 books of poetry and numerous other books of fiction, criticism, and essays. His collection, “Nebraska” was published in 2020.

He is George W. Holmes University Professor of English, Glenna Luschei Editor of Prairie Schooner at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and also teaches the Pacific MFA Program.

He is director of the African Poetry Book Fund and Artistic Director of the Calabash International Literary Festival. Dawes is a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

His awards include an Emmy, Nation­al Press Club Joan Frieden­berg Award for Online Jour­nal­ism, the For­ward Poet­ry Prize, the Mus­grave Sil­ver Medal for con­tri­bu­tion to the Arts in Jamaica, the Governor’s Award for ser­vice to the arts in South Car­oli­na, a Guggen­heim Fel­low­ship and the Wind­ham Camp­bell Prize for Poet­ry. In 2009 he was induct­ed into the South Car­oli­na Acad­e­my of Authors.

The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine, is an independent literary organization committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in American culture. It exists to discover and celebrate the best poetry and to place it before the largest possible audience. The Poetry Foundation seeks to be a leader in shaping a receptive climate for poetry by developing new audiences, creating new avenues for delivery, and encouraging new kinds of poetry through innovative literary prizes and programs.

March 20, 2021 | lakeconews.com

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April Literary Events

Posted on March 29, 2021 by Kayla Henzel

April is almost here. A new month brings new opportunities and more literary events!

Check out the NCB calendar to see what events are happening near you and across our state during the upcoming month.

Some of these events or workshops may require registration or charge a fee. The time, date, and location of these events are subject to change. Due to the current pandemic, some may be cancelled, postponed or shift or an online format. In addition, some venues may require face masks and to follow social distancing practices.

Contact us if you have an event that you would like to share on the NCB calendar!

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Literary Events in March

Posted on February 27, 2021 by Kayla Henzel

March is right around the corner! Check out the NCB calendar to see what literary events are happening near you.

Some of these events or workshops may require registration or charge a fee. The time, date, and location of these events are subject to change. Due to the current pandemic, some may be cancelled, postponed or shift or an online format. In addition, some venues may require face masks and to follow social distancing practices.

If you have an event that you would like to be featured, feel free to contact us!

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