Talking Book and Braille Service Open by Appointment Monday July 6th

Posted on June 29, 2020 by Gabe Kramer

Long-time no see!  Starting July 6th, Nebraska Talking Book and Braille Service will begin allowing patrons entrance to our library by appointment.  Since the pandemic is still very much a reality, our staff is still socially distancing and we are therefore continuing to have only one Readers Advisor at the desk at a time. 

If you are going to be in downtown Lincoln and would like to come pick-up your books in person, give us a call ahead of time and we will get your order ready to go.  When you come in at your appointed time, we will have a table to the left of the main doors for pick-ups and drop-offs so that we can all social distance, and so that our staff can sanitize the space for everyone’s safety!

Additionally, we would all appreciate the use of masks and hand sanitizer when you come in and that you remain six feet apart from your friendly librarian!  Bathrooms and drinking fountains will not be open to our guests at this time, so please plan accordingly.  We ask that you not loiter after your order pick-up to provide the space we need to sanitize after your visit. Lastly, please be aware that if you are more than fifteen-minutes late for your scheduled appointment, you will have to reschedule. 

We look forward to seeing your friendly faces and providing you with books.  Thank you for your patience as we get through this difficult time. 

Readers Services Division, Nebraska Library Commission Talking Book and Braille Service

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Open by Appointment beginning Monday July 6th

Posted on June 29, 2020 by Lisa Kelly

Beginning Monday July 6th, the Nebraska Library Commission will be open by appointment only. Appointments can be made by calling 402/471-2045,  800/307-2665, or emailing nlc.ask@nebraska.gov.  Staff will be wearing masks to protect you, and we ask that you wear a mask to protect staff. If you do not have a mask, one will be provided.  Use of hand sanitizer is required of all visitors upon entry.  Public restrooms and water fountains will be unavailable to visitors so please plan accordingly.  All pickups and drop offs can be transacted at a designated table near the front door.

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NCompass Live: Nebraska Libraries in the Time of COVID: Planning for Reopening

Posted on June 26, 2020 by Christa Porter

Join us on NCompass Live next Wednesday, July 1 at 10am CT, for ‘Nebraska Libraries in the Time of COVID: Planning for Reopening’.

Public libraries are major hubs of activity in our communities, so staff must take extra precautions when they start offering more in-person services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Join us to hear what ‘reopening’ looks like in some Nebraska libraries. Library staff will share their planning processes, strategies, experiences so far, and lessons learned as they ensure that their libraries are safe for both their staff and patrons.

Presenters: Cecelia Lawrence, Director, North Platte Public Library; Steve Fosselman, Director and Celine Swan, Youth Services Librarian, Grand Island Public Library; Denise Harders, Director, Central Plains Library System.

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

  • July 8 – Here’s What Python Does for Us: What Can it Do for Your Library?
  • July 15 – The Taming of the Site: Helping Users Find What They Need Where They Expect It
  • July 22 – Creating Accessible Materials for Library Instruction
  • July 29 – Pretty Sweet Tech

For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, go to the NCompass Live webpage.

NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website. The show is presented online using the GoToWebinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoToWebinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.

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Friday Reads: The Bartender’s Tale by Ivan Doig

Posted on June 26, 2020 by Lisa Kelly

I read this novel for my book club and was grateful to have discovered the Montana author, Ivan Doig, who unfortunately died in 2015. The Bartender’s Tale is a slow and pleasant read. It has the pace of a nice morning walk through a small rural Montana community where everyone knows your business.

The book takes place in 1960 and begins with Tom Harry, the owner of a well-worn bar called The Medicine Lodge as he drives to his sister’s home in Arizona to reclaim his 12-year-old son Rusty.  The atypical single father and son forge a new life together based largely in and around the bar. At The Medicine Lodge, life-long lessons in treating people right are more than just good business practice. Tom is something of a local ombudsman in every way but by election. 


Rusty knows that his mother and father split the blanket shortly after he was born but nothing much beyond that.  Rusty befriends Zoe, the daughter of the couple who own The Spot – an average eatery down the street – who is also new to town. Their jokes, laughs, and shtick are typical of kids coming of age. Their favorite thing to do is to listen to conversations through the vent in the back room of the bar; an activity that provides a curriculum of adult vocabulary and sex education.


When Del Robertson shows up with a grant-funded project through the Library of Congress to record people’s stories, there is a shift of focus for Tom and Rusty. They assist Del in helping persuade often-unwilling volunteers agree to participate. Then, another disruption named Proxy (a nickname for her hair color) arrives in a red Cadillac with her moody 21-year-old daughter in tow. Proxy has a past with Tom, from another bar named The Blue Eagle, and everyone seems to know that these still waters run deep. 

This was a book I was sad to finish. Despite Doig’s death, I’m grateful to know that he completed 12 books in this series. Even though this book is 10th in the series, this book worked quite well on its own.

Doig, Ivan. The Bartender’s Tale. Riverhead Books, 2012

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#BookFaceFriday “Gardening in Miniature” by Janit Calvo

Posted on June 26, 2020 by Tessa Timperley

Enjoy the little things with #BookFaceFriday!

Get your green thumbs ready for this week’s #BookFace. Check out “Gardening in Miniature: Create Your Own Tiny Living World” by Janit Calvo (Timber Press, 2013) it’s available to all Nebraska OverDrive Libraries in eBook format. 173 libraries across the state share this collection of 17,165 audiobooks and 28,972 eBooks. As an added bonus it includes 130 podcasts that are always available with simultaneous use (SU), as well as SU ebooks and audiobook titles that publishers have made available for a limited time due to the pandemic or Black Lives Matter.

If you’re a part of it, let your users know about this great title, and if you’re not a member yet, find more information about participating in Nebraska Overdrive Libraries!

“Miniature Gardening is a magical option for the gardener with limited yard space. This book will position well anyone who wants to begin creating a little world filled with happy growing things.” —Publishers Weekly

Love this #BookFace & reading? Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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Throwback Thursday: Baton Twirlers

Posted on June 25, 2020 by Kayla Henzel

All smiles for this week’s #ThrowbackThursday!

This 3-5/8″ x 4-3/4″ black and white acetate negative shows five baton twirlers leading a parade in Columbus, Nebraska in 1939. This image is published and owned by The Durham Museum.

If you like history, check out the Nebraska Memories archive. It is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. If your institution is interested in participating in this project, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information. Nebraska Memories is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission.

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Enter Your Library to Win the 2020 Jerry Kline Community Impact Prize

Posted on June 23, 2020 by Christa Porter

Deadline: July 15, 2020 (Submissions close at 11:59 p.m. EDT.)

The Jerry Kline Community Impact Prize, developed in partnership between the Gerald M. Kline Family Foundation and Library Journal, was created in 2019 to recognize the public library as a vital community asset. When libraries, civic entities, organizations, and the people they serve become close partners, their communities thrive.

Prize: One winning library will receive $250,000 in unfettered grant monies from the Gerald M. Kline Family Foundation. The winning library will also be profiled in the November issue of Library Journal and online.

The winning library will be identified based on the degree of its impact on the community in the following key areas:

  • Engagement – a) How do the local government and other civic institutions partner with the library—and vice versa—to support the service area’s defined civic goals? b) How does the library use deep engagement and co-creation with community individuals and non-governmental organizations to drive library services?
  • Recognition – What does the community recognize are positive outcomes from the library, and how is that recognition given? How is that reflected in support?
  • Inclusion – How does the library go the extra mile to meet the needs of marginalized or underserved populations among its community and to promote social cohesion and connection across differences?
  • Leadership development – How does the library ensure its own organizational strength and dynamism?
  • Environmental sustainability – How does the library lead on sustainable thinking for the library itself and the community at large to ensure future resilience?  
  • Inventiveness – How are the library services original, both strategically and tactically?

Application Requirements

  • Nominations will be submitted via an online form.
  • Nominations should include the following:
    • Nominee data: Library name, primary contact and contact mailing address, phone number, email.
    • Library data: population in service area, physical area served, per capita budget, number of patrons served, number of FTE, number of volunteers, days and hours open per week, types of existing funding sources with their relative percentages within total funding.
    • Multiple-author submissions are permitted. For submissions with multiple authors, please include the names and affiliations of all of the group members.
    • An overview summary of no more than 1,000 words pertaining to the goals and criteria listed above.
    • Detailed answers to focused answers on each of the criteria driven questions above (via fields in the online submission form).
    • Three letters of support from community partners and/or civic leaders, with at least one from a civic official.
    • Optional: Supporting materials such as photographs/images of the library and surrounding community; press coverage, brief videos (not exceed three minutes), etc.

Read about the 2019 winner, Sacramento Public Library.

Eligibility: All U.S. Public Libraries are eligible for the prize, whether in a single building in a small town or a multi-branch system serving an entire region. Previous winners are asked to take a ten year hiatus from submitting again for consideration.

Application Deadline: The deadline for consideration for the 2020 Community Impact Prize is July 15, 2020. (Submissions close at 11:59 p.m. EDT.)

Please submit nominations via the form found here.

Questions? Please contact Meredith Schwartz, Editor-in-Chief, Library Journal at mschwartz@mediasourceinc.com

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#BookFace & Friday Reads: “Lovely War” by Julie Berry

Posted on June 19, 2020 by Tessa Timperley

I first picked up this book because I was drawn to the cover art and soft, muted color scheme, but also because I’m a sucker for historical fiction. I expected a straight forward period romance, boy meets girl, boy goes to war, there’s pining, an injury, and a happily ever after. Don’t get me wrong, there is some of the expected, but let’s just say I was pleasantly surprised by this novel’s unexpected plot and characters.

It all starts with a torrid affair between gods, Aphrodite and Ares to be exact. Then turns into two love stories the goddess orchestrated during the last World War. The author introduces us to interesting characters from different walks of life, weaving their stories together for the reader. Berry dives in to overlooked parts of World War I history like the roles of black American soldiers, James Reese Europe’s introduction of Jazz to France, and YMCA volunteer work to name a few. I really appreciated the appendix and bibliography included at the end of the book. They let the reader know which parts of the story are factual and expand on those issues. Berry also includes references to nonfiction works that she used, so the reader can keep learning.

This title comes from our large collection of children’s and young adult books sent to us as review copies from book publishers. When our Children and Young Adult Library Services Coordinator, Sally Snyder, is done with them, the review copies are available for the Library System Directors to distribute to school and public libraries in their systems. Public and school library staff are also welcome to stop by and select some titles for their library collections. We think this one would be a great addition to any library. Contact Sally Snyder for more information.

Love this #BookFace & reading? We suggest checking out all the titles available in our Book Club collection, permanent collection, and Nebraska OverDrive Libraries. Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

Berry, Julie. Lovely War. Viking Books for Young Readers, 2019.

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Throwback Thursday: Brewery

Posted on June 18, 2020 by Kayla Henzel

It’s a brew-tiful day for a #throwback!

This 8″x10″ black and white acetate negative was created by William Wentworth. It is published and owned by the Durham Museum. The William Wentworth collection consists of over 4,000 negatives of images that document life in Omaha, Nebraska from 1934 to 1950. He worked as a freelance and commercial photographer, providing a unique view of architecture, businesses, and community life.

See all the materials from this collection and more on the Nebraska Memories archive.

Nebraska Memories is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. It is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. If your institution is interested in participating in this project, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.

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Reading For Change: Anti-Racism Titles in Our Book Club Kit Collection

Posted on June 12, 2020 by Aimee Owen

Earlier this week, the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture posted their Black Liberation Reading List. This is among many anti-racism reading lists publicized in recent days (here, here, and here) but I’m choosing to highlight this list because the Schomburg Center has focused on the Black experience, history, and culture for 95 years. Their list of 95 books includes both fiction and nonfiction.

If your patrons or book club groups are interested in these titles, we have a selection of them in our Book Club Kit collection:

You can find these books and similar titles for all ages on our Book Club Kit page: http://nlc.nebraska.gov/ref/bookclub/, by choosing “Black lives” in the Genre drop down menu.

We have also gathered a number of resources for library patrons and the general public to learn about social issues on NebraskAccess.

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NCompass Live: Who are These People & Why are They in My Library? Using Empathy & UX to Understand Your Library Patrons

Posted on June 12, 2020 by Christa Porter

Find out ‘Who are These People & Why are They in My Library?’ and learn about ‘Using Empathy & UX to Understand Your Library Patrons’ on next week’s FREE NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, June 17 at 10:00am CT.

How often does your library make decisions about services offered without checking with library users first? Are library administrators or external agents making decisions on behalf of library patrons without understanding their needs? Are you puzzling over why some of your programs are poorly attended, or services under utilized? Do you sometimes feel like you are floundering in the dark, trying to make sense of patron behavior? Have you done usability testing, but need to go beyond that to learn even easier methods for assessing and improving library services? In this session we will discuss ways to know your users better through some powerful UX techniques like: creating user personas, diagramming user journey maps, conducting focus groups and surveys, field studies, and card sorting. This session, conducted by a librarian at a university and a UX professional from the private sector, will include demonstrations showcasing both qualitative and quantitative UX methods. Attendees will leave with ready models to put to work in their library.

Presenters: Jennifer DeJonghe, Reference and Instruction Librarian, Metropolitan State University; Rich Harrison, User Experience Consultant, Horizontal.

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

  • June 24 – Pretty Sweet Tech – How to Leverage Online Learning to Build New Skills
  • July 15 – The Taming of the Site: Helping Users Find What They Need Where They Expect It

For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, go to the NCompass Live webpage.

NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website. The show is presented online using the GoToWebinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoToWebinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.

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#BookFaceFriday “The Clutter Corpse” by Simon Brett

Posted on June 12, 2020 by Tessa Timperley

We are sparking joy with this #BookFaceFriday!

It’s Marie Kondo meets Agatha Christie in this week’s #BookFace. Check out “Clutter Corpse: The Decluttering Mystery” by Simon Brett (Severn House Publishers, 2020) it’s available to all Nebraska OverDrive Libraries in eBook format. 173 libraries across the state share this collection of 16,670 audiobooks and 28,473 eBooks. As an added bonus it includes 130 podcasts that are always available with simultaneous use.

If you’re a part of it, let your users know about this great title, and if you’re not a member yet, find more information about participating in Nebraska Overdrive Libraries!

Watching Ellen investigate… on her own is thoroughly fascinating. Brett fans, along with readers who liked Richard Roper’s How Not to Die Alone (2019), will love this quirky, warmhearted mystery’ – Booklist Starred Review

Love this #BookFace & reading? Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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Friday Reads: For Love of the Game by Michael Shaara

Posted on June 12, 2020 by Rod Wagner

With the absence of baseball in the spring of 2020 comes the opportunity for an alternative – a good baseball book. I came across a copy of Michael Shaara’s For Love of the Game among my books. I don’t recall that I actually read the book at some time in the past. I do remember the movie version that starred Kevin Costner as Billy Chapel, the baseball legend and sure to be future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher, the book’s protagonist.

Having read the book recently, the book and movie versions have some significant differences. So it goes. In short, Chapel will pitch the final game of the season and likely his last as a major leaguer. This with the background of an uncertain personal relationship and also the knowledge that the team he has been with for his entire career is about to betray him.

Michael Shaara is best known for The Killer Angels, his Pulitzer prize-winning classic regarded as one of the best Civil War novels. For Love of the Game was published after Michael Shaara’s death. The book includes an introduction written by Sharra’s son, Jeff.

Michael Shaara began his career writing science fiction short stories. A family vacation to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in 1966 was the inspiration for his novel, The Killer Angels. It was his love for baseball that resulted in For Love of the Game.

Shaara, Michael. For Love of the Game. Ballantine Books, 1991.

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Niche Academy is Open!

Posted on June 11, 2020 by Holli Duggan
NLC Niche Academy and Reopening Lives Tutorials. Online Learning.

Two new online learning resources are now available!

First, the Nebraska Library Commission Academy is available to librarians as a thirty-day trial through Niche Academy. Lessons include topics such as:

  • Code of Ethics for New Directors
  • 10 Strategies for Community Organizing in Libraries
  • 2020 United States Census
  • Virtual Programming: Working with Presenters and Performers
  • Research Essentials

Please check it out and let me know what you think! Each lesson is eligible for 1 CE credit for those enrolled in the Nebraska Public Librarian Certification program, just submit a CE Activity Report form when completed.

Second, the Reopening Lives Academy is a collaborative project between Niche Academy and librarians all over the United States to help answer patron questions as libraries work on reopening.

…many of us are anticipating a surge of patrons with questions about unemployment, taxes, and financial resources. We anticipate questions about public and personal health, and how the CARES act (and other legislation) will affect or help small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Niche Academy

These short tutorials are intended to help librarians and patrons answer these many different questions and provide quick resources with quality information on topics such as COVID-19, wearing masks, mental health, and writing resumes.

If you want to learn more about the collaborative project (or are interested in participating), there is more information posted on the Niche Academy blog.

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Throwback Thursday: Queen of the College World Series

Posted on June 11, 2020 by Kayla Henzel

It’s another #Throwback from Nebraska Memories!

This black and white photograph shows Dorothy Gredstrom being crowned the School of Nursing Seniors Queen of the College World Series in June of 1959.

This week’s #throwbackthursday is provided and owned by the Alegent Health Immanuel Medical Center. The rich and well documented history of Immanuel Medical Center in Omaha is shown in the images of early buildings, people and artifacts. An archive of thousands of photos, papers and items has been maintained for over 120 years, carefully stored and currently housed at the Alegent Health Immanuel Medical Center campus.

Look through this collection and many more on the Nebraska Memories archive!

Nebraska Memories is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. It is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. If your institution is interested in participating in this project, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.

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Free webinar: “Moving Forward: Key Findings from New Libraries’ COVID-19 Response Survey”

Posted on June 10, 2020 by Christa Porter

Free webinar: “Moving Forward: Key Findings from New Libraries’ COVID-19 Response Survey”
Fri., June 12, 1-2 p.m. Central   
Register at http://www.ala.org/united/survey
Presented by the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL), the Public Library Association (PLA), and the ALA Chapter Relations and Public Policy & Advocacy offices, with support from United for Libraries

A new survey from the American Library Association captures how public, academic, and school libraries are continuing to adjust services while preparing for the phased reopening of their facilities. Join survey administrators and librarians as they discuss results, trends, and reopening practices, as well as new data on current and projected library budget and staffing impacts related to the crisis.

Speakers:

  • Anastasia Diamond-Ortiz, Chief Executive Officer/Director, Lorain Public Library System
  • Dawn La Valle, Director, Division of Development, Connecticut State Library
  • Denise Fritsch, Ed.D., Dean of Institutional Effectiveness, Gateway Community and Technical College
  • Mary Jane Petrowski, Associate Director, Association for College and Research Libraries
  • Emily Plagman, Manager, Impact & Advocacy, Public Library Association

United for Libraries
The Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations
A division of the American Library Association
312-280-2160
www.ala.org/united

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2019 Public Library Survey Data is Now Available

Posted on June 10, 2020 by Sam Shaw

The 2019 FY public library survey data is now available on the NLC website. This is preliminary data (meaning that it has not yet been certified by IMLS) so keep in mind that it is subject to change. Thanks to all of you who submitted your statistics. Historical data (back to 1999) is also available on our website. The next survey cycle begins in November, but you should be collecting those statistics now. If you are a new library director, check out the Bibliostat guide.

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NCompass Live: Identity and Impostor Syndrome in Library Makerspaces

Posted on June 5, 2020 by Christa Porter

Learn how to master ‘Identity and Impostor Syndrome in Library Makerspaces’ on next week’s FREE NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, June 10 at 10:00am CT.

Do makerspaces belong in libraries? Are librarians makers? As makerspaces become more prevalent in libraries, many librarians are questioning their role in the community of tinkerers and creators known as the “Maker Movement.”

Gender imbalance and a lack of diversity in makerspaces can lead to impostor syndrome, or “a false and sometimes crippling belief that one’s successes are the product of luck or fraud rather than skill” (Merriam Webster). Impostor syndrome can affect anyone, but studies suggest that women and people of color are more likely to experience these feelings of inadequacy.

This session will share the findings of one librarian’s examination of her impostor syndrome and consider factors that can contribute to self-doubt in library makerspaces. She will share the results of conversations and interviews with her peers, as well as strategies for managing impostor syndrome. Participants are encouraged to take time to reflect on a time when they felt out of place or unsure of themselves, and share their own approaches for conquering impostor syndrome.

Presenter: Leanne Nay, Digital Engagement Librarian, Indiana University Libraries.

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

  • June 17 – Who are These People & Why are They in My Library? Using Empathy & UX to Understand Your Library Patrons
  • June 24 – Pretty Sweet Tech – How to Leverage Online Learning to Build New Skills

For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, go to the NCompass Live webpage.

NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website. The show is presented online using the GoToWebinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoToWebinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.

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#BookFaceFriday “Blue Hole Back Home” by Joy Jordan-Lake

Posted on June 5, 2020 by Tessa Timperley

It’s sweet summertime for this #BookFaceFriday!

Jump in feet first this summer into Nebraska OverDrive Libraries! New titles are added almost daily, like this week’s #BookFaceFriday! “Blue Hole Back Home” by Joy Jordan-Lake (Triple Falls Press, 2017) is available to all Nebraska OverDrive Libraries in both eBook and Audiobook format. 173 libraries across the state share this collection of 16,670 audiobooks and 28,473 eBooks. As an added bonus it includes 130 podcasts that are always available with simultaneous use.

If you’re a part of it, let your users know about this great title, and if you’re not a member yet, find more information about participating in Nebraska Overdrive Libraries!

“Sacred’s not a word I’ve ever much liked. But maybe some things, and some places, just are. And maybe the Blue Hole was one of those things. Shelby (nicknamed Turtle) never had any female friends. But when a mysterious girl from Sri Lanka moved to town in the summer of 1979, Turtle invited her to a secret haven: the Blue Hole. Turtle had no idea how much that simple gesture would affect the rest of her life, or the lives of those she loved. In a time when America was technically well beyond the Civil Rights era, there were those in Turtle’s small Appalachian town who rejected the presence of someone different. And in just one summer-in a collision of love, hate, jealousy, beauty, and a sacred, muddy swimming hole-nothing and everything changed. ” — Book Jacket

Love this #BookFace & reading? Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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Friday Reads: The Beautiful Ones

Posted on June 5, 2020 by Sam Shaw

Intro: With all the unrest in the nation that started in the Minneapolis area, I thought it appropriate to post this FR. Years ago, I had a high school friend who moved to Chanhassen, Minnesota (just south of the Twin Cities), where Paisley Park is. I visited my friend a few times in Chanhassen, and quickly realized January was not a good time. Summers were nice, though. Sadly, my friend has passed away (cancer). He never saw his 26th birthday.

Opening: Yep, it is another music biography. I have a sort of love and hate relationship with music biographies, but this one is well done and I recommend it. A few years ago, I was in the Minneapolis area (after the death of Prince) and thought of touring Paisley Park. I decided against it because I did not think that Prince would have wanted visitors that way. However, I completely understand the estate’s decision to do so. By not opening it up, there’s no way it would sustainable. Musical biographies can be quite a hit or miss, but often are a miss due to the fact they come across as braggadocios. Prince certainly seemed like the antithesis of that.

Background Info: Before he died, Prince was working on this book, with the help of Dan Piepenbring. The intro was written by Dan, summarizing his first meetings with Prince, and Prince’s vision for the completed work (he intended for it to cover his childhood up to his performance at Super Bowl XLI (in 2007). Dan’s anecdotes provide an interesting segue into the actual writing of Prince, and the numerous photos published in this book. The stories, including Dan staying at the local Country Inn and Suites (the place closest to Paisley Park in Chanhassen, MN), Prince driving him around in his Lincoln MKT, and live performances at Paisley Park.  

Filler Material: The bulk of the middle part consists of Prince’s actual writings, and then the translations. His writings are hard to read, given his affinity for code (e.g. eye symbol for I) and handwriting.  The gist of the book, and hats off to the publishers, was not to fill in the chronology after where Prince was at with his writing. Therefore, there is no speculation about his thoughts, as the material is published just as he wrote it, and stops at the point where he was at when he passed (before the Super Bowl XLI performance). As a companion piece, Originals (on CD, vinyl, MP3, take your pick) published after his death, is highly recommended. Toss it on the old (dust off the console stereo) or new hi-fi and turn up the volume.

Killer Ending: “So much has been written about me, and people don’t know what’s right and what’s wrong. I’d rather let them stay confused.” – Prince

Prince. The Beautiful Ones. Spiegel & Grau, 2019.

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