Official Nebraska Book Festival Site

	2005 NEBRASKA BOOK FESTIVAL "Local Wonders" Featuring Ted Kooser Nebraska Wesleyan University 50th & St. Paul, Lincoln, NE October 7 - 8, 2005
Ted Kooser, U.S. Poet Laureate and 2005 Pulitzer Prize winner, will headline the 14th annual Nebraska Book Festival Friday, October 7 - Saturday, October 8. This year’s festival is hosted by Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln. Map and driving instructions to Nebraska Wesleyan. The theme for the 2005 Nebraska Book Festival is “Local Wonders,” drawn from the title of Ted Kooser’s evocative book about living in Nebraska’s Bohemian Alps. Everyone who attends the festival on Saturday will receive a free copy of Local Wonders, donated by the University of Nebraska Press. All Friday and Saturday events are free (except $10 for lunch on Saturday) and open to the public. Schedule: Friday, October 7 4:00-5:30 p.m. Readings (No Name Reading Series) at the Sur Tango Café 1228 P Streets, Lincoln Tyrone Jaeger (UNL); Mike Flowers & Will Holmes (from NWU) 7:15 p.m. Free Film: King of the Corner At The Ross Media Arts Center, 313 N. 13th Street, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Gerald Shapiro, who co-wrote the filmscript based on his book of short stories Bad Jews, is professor of fiction writing and Jewish-American literature at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He will be on hand to introduce the film, answer questions, and autograph copies of his book. University Bookstore will have a table with copies for sale. The film showing is co-sponsored by The Ross Media Arts Center. 9:00 p.m. Invited readings at Crescent Moon Coffee, 816 P Street, Lincoln Hosted by Rex Walton Barbara Schmitz, Sarah McKinstry-Brown, Jim Reese, and Timothy Schaffert Saturday, October 8 8:30 a.m. Registration Nebraska Wesleyan University, Old Main 50th & St. Paul, Lincoln - Map and driving instructions to Nebraska Wesleyan. 9:00-10:15 a.m. Panels (Old Main, Nebraska Wesleyan) "Publishing in Small Journals," with Karen Shoemaker, Kelly Madigan Erlandson, Lee An Roripaugh "Life of the Book," sponsored by University of Nebraska Press Readings by Wesleyan writers -- Ted Genoways, Ben Gotschall, Rick Cypert, and Sarah Barr Host: Scott Stanfield (Callen Conference Center, Nebraska Wesleyan) 10:30- 11:45 a.m. Keynote address by Ted Kooser -- introduced by Sen. Chris Beutler (McDonald Theatre, Nebraska Wesleyan) Noon-1:30 p.m. Luncheon (Wesleyan Student Cafeteria) Tickets will be available at the Registration table in Old Main (no reservations needed). Cost is $10. Speaker: Bill Kloefkorn, Nebraska State Poet Emcee: Scott Stanfield, English, Nebraska Wesleyan Presentation of the Mildred Bennett Award Presentation of the Nebraska Book Awards 2:00-3:15 p.m. Panels (Old Main, Nebraska Wesleyan) "Literary Societies": hosted by Scott Stanfield Nancy Gillis (John G. Neihardt Foundation), Betty Kort (Willa Cather Pioneer Memorial and Educational Foundation), Sarah Polak (Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center) and John Wunder (Mari Sandoz Heritage Society, and Martha McGahan (Lone Tree Society-Wright Morris) "Many ways to probe a book and some books worth probing," Community Book Groups, hosted by Mel Krutz. Panelists include Sharon Bishop, Bluestem, Henderson, and York Library Book Clubs; Melinda Pearson, The Crows of the Cornfield, Lincoln; Mary Trenery, Chapter 12, Omaha; Richard Allen, Lincoln Great Books Reading & Discussion Group; and Holly Herman, Book Group Babes and I'd Rather Read Book Groups, Omaha. Readings by Prairie Schooner writers -- Twyla Hansen, Marge Saiser, Ladette Randolph, Jonis Agee, Steve Langan. Hosted by Kelly Grey Carlisle (Callen Conference Center, Nebraska Wesleyan) 3:30-4:45 p.m. Readings by 2005 Nebraska Book Award winners, hosted by Rod Wagner (Callen Conference Center, Nebraska Wesleyan) 7:00 p.m. Invited readings, hosted by Marge Saiser, Matt Mason, Twyla Hansen (Smith-Curtis Administration Building Lower Level, Nebraska Wesleyan) Neil Harrison (Norfolk), J.V. Brummels (Wayne), Susan George Bloomfield, Michael Dumanis, Charles Fort, Henry Krusciewicz (Fremont), Greg Kosmicki (Omaha), Hadara Bar-Nadav, Benjamin Vogt, Mary K. Stillwell, Deborah McGinn, Mel Krutz, and Fred Zydek About the Sponsors The Nebraska Humanities Council has provided major funding for the festival since its inception as the Nebraska Literature Festival in 1991. Each year, the event celebrates Nebraska’s rich literary heritage and promotes the state’s growing population of talented, contemporary writers. Co-sponsors for the festival include the Nebraska Arts Council, Nebraska Center for the Book, the Nebraska Library Commission, and University of Nebraska Press. Additional sponsors are the Rogers Foundation, the Pegler Family Foundation, Nebraska Book Company, Earl and Patricia Scudder, and Catherine Angle. This year, Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln has organized the Festival and is hosting it. For updates on the 2005 Nebraska Book Festival, contact Jim Schaffer, the festival director, at jrs@nebrwesleyan.edu or (402) 465-2352. This page last updated on October 6, 2005 by Kathy Johnson kjohnsoa@unlnotes.unl.edu, with the help of Judellen Thornton-Jaringe.