Sunday, November 20, 2016

Celebration of Nebraska Books

A couple of weeks ago, I had the chance to attend the Celebration of Nebraska Books put on by the Nebraska Center for the Book. They judge books written by Nebraskans, published in Nebraska, or about Nebraska in categories such as fiction, non-fiction, reference, illustration, cover design, Nebraska as a Place, poetry, chapbook, etc. and choose the best one.
Karen Shoemaker

We got to hear from the 2016 One Book One Nebraska winner, Karen Shoemaker who wrote The Meaning of Names. One Book One Nebraska is a "reading program... [that] 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." (onebook.nebraska.gov)

They also announced the 2017 One Book One Nebraska Winner which is Black Elk Speaks by John G. Neihardt. It sounds very interesting and I have added it to my "books to be read" list.
Picture from Amazon.

The 2016 Jane Geske Award was given to City Impact (Lincoln), Literacy Center for the Midlands (Omaha), and Platte Valley Literacy Association (Columbus). "The Jane Geske Award recognizes organizations that make exceptional, long-term contributions to one or more of these literary fields in Nebraska: Literacy, Reading, Bookselling, Books, Libraries, and/or Writing."
Platte Valley Literacy Association
Literacy Center for the Midlands













 The 2016 Mildred Bennett Award was given to Twyla Hansen and Marjorie Saiser for making "significant contributions to the fostering of the literary tradition in Nebraska.

Marjorie Saiser
Twyla Hansen













 The 2016 Nebraska Book Award Winners:
Lin Brummels
Nancy Plain
Anthology:
A Sandhills Reader: Thirty Years of Great Writing from the Great Plains by Mark Sanders
Chapbook
Hard Times by Lin Brummels
Children/Young Adult
This Strange Wilderness: The Live and Art of John James Audubon by Nancy Plain
Cover/Design/Illustration
Rodeo Nebraska by Mark Harris, Design by N. Putens
Illustration Honor
The Fishes of Nebraska Illustrated by Justin T. Sipiorski, Design by Jim L. Friesen
Creative Non-Fiction
Chigozie Obioma
Mark Harris (speaking)
and N. Putens
The Ordinary Spaceman: From Boyhood Dreams to Astronaut by Clayton C. Anderson
Fiction
The Fisherman: A Novel by Chigozie Obioma
Fiction: Short Story Honor
A Man in Trouble: Stories by Lon Otto
Nonfiction: Current Biography
Nebrasketball: Coach Tim Miles and a Big Ten Team on the Rise by Scott Winter
Nonfiction: Historical Biography
A Sister's Memories: The Life and Work of Grace Abbott from the Writings of Her Sister, Edith Abbott by Edith Abbot and John Sorensen
Nonfiction: Nebraska as Place
Summer Miller
Dr. Ann Coin on
behalf of Edith Abbot
and John Sorensen
New Prairie Kitchen: Stories and Seasonal Recipes from Chefs, Farmers, and Artisans of the Great Plains by Summer Miller
James Hewitt
Nonfiction: Reference
The Fishes of Nebraska by Robert A. Hrabik, Stephen C. Schainost, Richard H. Stasiak, and Edward J. Peters
Nonfiction: True Crime
In Cold Storage: Sex and Murder on the Plains by James W. Hewitt
Nonfiction: Wildlife
Authors of The Fishes
of Nebraska
A Chorus of Cranes: The Cranes of North America and the World by Paul A. Johnsgard and Thomas D. Mangelsen
Nonfiction: Wildlife Honor
Charles Peek
Hunting for Food: Guide to Harvesting, Field Dressing, and Cooking Wild Game by Jenny Nguyen and Rick Wheatley
Poetry
Breezes on Their Way to Being Winds by Charles Peek
Poetry Honor
Quiet City by Susan Aizenberg
Paul A. Johnsgard






Most of the winners attended and they all said a little something or read something that they had written.

It was an absolutely fantastic afternoon of being surrounded by authors, illustrators, and book lovers.

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