Focus on Nebraska authors: Timothy Schaffert

Timothy Schaffert teaches in the English Department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is the director/founder of the (downtown) Omaha Lit Fest, and is a contributing editor to Fairy Tale Review. He grew up in rural Nebraska near the city of Aurora and I had the good fortune to meet him at my neighbor’s house and talk with him about his books. Timothy has written five novels, all of which we own in our Book Club collection. I read the first chapter of each book and one thing was evident in all of them, Nebraska settings and very quirky characters. Timothy writes the kind of literary fiction that book groups are always looking for because they provide rich discussion and strongly-felt opinions. His latest book, The Swan Gondola, is set during the 1898 Omaha World’s Fair and has recently been described as a costume-drama novel every intelligent woman needs to read. The best thing to know about this Nebraska author is that he has attended book group discussions in the past and would consider your invitation if you would like to include him in your discussion. Timothy makes for charming company, so please think about selecting one of his titles and perhaps scheduling an author visit for your group!