Finalists for 2012 One Book One Nebraska Announced

Two nonfiction books and three novels—all stories of America’s Great Plains—are the five finalists for the 2012 One Book One Nebraska statewide reading program. The finalists are: A Sandhills Ballad, by Ladette Randolph Atticus : A Novel, by Ron Hansen “I Am a Man”: Chief Standing Bear’s Journey for Justice, by Joe Starita Once Upon a Town: The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen, by Bob Greene The Tie That Binds, by Kent Haruf The One Book One Nebraska reading program, sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book, is now in its eighth year. 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. A committee of the Nebraska Center for the Book selected the finalists from a list of forty-eight titles nominated by Nebraskans. The choice for the 2012 One Book One Nebraska will be announced at the Celebration of Nebraska Books on October 22 at the Lied Center for Performing Arts, 12th and R Streets, on the University of Nebraska campus in downtown Lincoln. The event, scheduled for 3:30 – 6:30 p.m., will feature the 2011 One Book One Nebraska (Local Wonders: Seasons in the Bohemian Alps by Ted Kooser). In conjunction with the celebration, the Lied Center for Performing Arts will offer six performances of “Local Wonders: A Musical,” October 19 – 23 at the Lied Center’s Johnny Carson Theater, produced by the Nebraska Repertory Theatre. A 2:00 p.m. performance will precede the October 22 celebration and another performance will be presented after the celebration at 7:30 p.m. These performances are ticketed events. Tickets are available at www.liedcenter.org/events/detail.php?eid=157. The choice for the 2012 One Book One Nebraska will be announced at 5:30 p.m. Winners of the 2011 Nebraska Book Awards will be honored and the celebration will include readings by some of the winning authors. A list of winners is located at http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/awards.html. Also, the 2011 Jane Geske Award will be presented to Greg Kosmicki and The Backwaters Press. The Jane Geske Award recognizes a Nebraska association, organization, business, library, school, academic institution, or other group that has made an exceptional, long-term contribution to one or more of these fields in Nebraska: Literacy, Reading, Book Selling, Books, Libraries, and/or Writing in Nebraska. The 2011 Celebration of Nebraska Books is sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book, Nebraska Humanities Council, and Nebraska Library Commission, in partnership with the Lied Center for Performing Arts, Nebraska Repertory Theatre, and University of Nebraska Press.  For more information, contact Mary Jo Ryan, 402-471-3434 or 800-307-2665. Confirmed presenters will be announced at www.centerforthebook.nebraska.gov and http://www.facebook.com/NebraskaCenterfortheBook. The Nebraska Book Awards competition is sponsored by Nebraska Center for the Book, Nebraska Humanities Council, and Nebraska Library Commission, in partnership with the following organizations: The Apollon, a collaborative arts venue; The Braided River Series of Wednesday Words, through a collaboration between the Nebraska Arts Council and The Backwaters Press; Great Plains Writers’ Tour, Mount Marty College; Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts; Northeast Community College English Department’s Visiting Writers Series; and University of Nebraska-Kearney Reynolds Series. 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. The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission website, www.nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.