Public Information and Communication
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 6, 2021
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Tessa Terry
402-471-3434
800-307-2665
Shortlist for 2022 One Book One
Nebraska Announced
What book will all Nebraskans be encouraged to read in 2022? We will all
find out on October 23rd. A historical fiction set in the Sandhills,
Nonfiction work on refugees resettled in Nebraska, a book of humorous essays
on small town life —all stories with ties to Nebraska and the Great
Plains—are the finalists for the 2022 One Book One Nebraska statewide
reading program. The finalists are:
- The Bones of Paradise by Jonis Agee, William Morrow (2016)
- The Middle of Everywhere by Mary Pipher, Mariner Books
(2003)
- It’s Not the End of the Earth But You Can See it From Here
by Roger Welsch, Bison Books (1990)
The One Book One Nebraska reading program, now in its eighteenth year, is
sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book, Humanities Nebraska, and
Nebraska Library Commission. It encourages Nebraskans across the state to
read and discuss the same book, chosen from books written by Nebraska
authors or that have a Nebraska theme or setting. A Nebraska Center for the
Book committee selected the three finalists from a list of twenty-four
titles nominated by Nebraskans. In the coming weeks, Nebraska Center for the
Book board members will vote on the 2022 selection.
The Celebration of Nebraska Books, on October 23rd, will also
honor winners of the 2021 Jane Geske and Mildred Bennett awards. The 2021
Mildred Bennett Award will be presented to Rebecca Faber,
the award recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to
fostering the literary tradition in Nebraska, reminding us of the literary
and intellectual heritage that enriches our lives and molds our world. The
2021 Jane Geske Award will be presented to the Kearney Literacy
Council, a Nebraska organization known for exceptional
contributions to literacy, books, reading, libraries, and literature in
Nebraska. It commemorates Geske’s passion for books, and was established in
recognition of her contributions to the well-being of the libraries of
Nebraska.
Nebraskans are invited to take part in the Celebration of Nebraska
Books on October 23rd, where the choice for the 2022 One Book One
Nebraska will be announced. This year’s One Book One Nebraska selection will
be featured in a key note presentation by author James J. Kimble on
Prairie Forge: The Extraordinary Story of the Nebraska Scrap Metal Drive of
World War II (Bison Books, 2014.) See
http://onebook.nebraska.gov or
https://www.facebook.com/OneBookOneNebraska for more information about
ongoing 2021 One Book One Nebraska activities.
The Celebration of Nebraska Books will include readings by the winners of
the 2021 Nebraska Book Awards emceed by Nebraska State Poet
Matt Mason. A list of Nebraska Book Award winners is posted at
http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/awards.html. The Celebration of
Nebraska Books is sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book and Nebraska
Library Commission with support from History Nebraska’s Nebraska History
Museum. Humanities Nebraska provides support for the One Book One Nebraska
keynote presentation.
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 national Center for the Book in the Library of
Congress and 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.”
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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission
are always available on the Library Commission website,
http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.