Nebraska Book Festival

Katherine Shaffer and Talia Cole

On Saturday, March 31, two students, Katherine Shaffer and Talia Cole (pictured in the preceding image) accompanied me to Lincoln for the Nebraska Book Festival held in the Nebraska History Museum. We met Dr. Dan Holtz, current president of the Nebraska Historical Society, at the festival.

Among other things, I enjoyed the chance to see Twyla Hanson, pictured with William Trowbridge, a great voice of humor I hope to bring to Peru State College to give a reading.

I also saw many folks who have read at Peru State, including Karen Shoemaker, Brent Spencer, Rich Wyatt, Greg Kosmicki (publisher at Backwaters Press), Marjorie Saiser, and Matt Mason, who organized this year's festival.

You can see video of both Twyla Hansen (2010) and Matt Mason (2009) from their reading on campus.

I hope to bring a number of new people I met to campus, including David Philip Mullins and William Trowbridge.

I enjoyed all the presenters and will work to bring a particular speaker to Peru State College, Joe Starita.

His latest book, I Am A Man--Chief Standing Bear's Journey for Justice, is the 2012 One Book One Nebraska selection and a book about a famous American Indian I look forward to reading.

Starita's previous book, The Dull Knifes of Pine Ridge--A Lakota Odyssey, got nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.

Take a look at the slide show from the Nebraska Book Festival.