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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260206T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260206T193000
DTSTAMP:20260423T051855
CREATED:20260120T183736Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260120T185200Z
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SUMMARY:February First Friday Celebration with artist Tom Sheppard
DESCRIPTION:Join us as we welcome back beloved local artist Tom Sheppard as he presents his new show! We will be open late\, until 7:30\, for a reception during Lincoln’s First Friday Art Walk on February 6th! We can’t wait to see you there! \nAbout the Artist:\nTom Sheppard is a well-known Nebraska artist\, often associated with Lincoln\, who is primarily a watercolorist\, former art teacher for Lincoln Public Schools (LPS)\, and coach\, known for his balanced\, intuitive style\, and is featured at local spots like the Burkholder Project and Francie & Finch. He studied art at Hastings College and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL)\, blending logical and creative approaches in his work\, which sometimes includes local subjects like the Nebraska State Capitol.  \nNote from the Artist:\n“After graduating from Hastings College I began my teaching career but I also began painting in earnest\, having discovered it to be the most enlightening activity I had encountered.  I began entering competitions with my paintings and maintained as rigorous of a schedule as I could\, trying to experiment and refine my work.  I have always considered watercolor a favorite and use it to advance my technique and develop better hand-eye coordination.  Many examples of my watercolors will be considered to be representational (but rarely what I consider to be realistic).  Most of my larger paintings on canvas are abstract and non-objective.  Even so\, I consider my time painting in watercolor as my primary method to further enhance my skill\, even on the larger more abstract work.  The Sheldon and the Museum of Nebraska Art (MONA) both have examples of my work in their holdings.”
URL:https://francieandfinch.com/event/february-first-friday-celebration-with-artist-tom-sheppard/
LOCATION:Francie & Finch Bookshop\, 130 S. 13th Street\, Lincoln\, NE\, 68508\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://francieandfinch.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Tom-Sheppard-February-First-Friday-February.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260210T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260210T193000
DTSTAMP:20260423T051855
CREATED:20260105T232523Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260107T224507Z
UID:10404-1770744600-1770751800@francieandfinch.com
SUMMARY:Book Launch Celebration - Kristen Hoerl - The Impossible Woman: Television\, Feminism\, and the Future
DESCRIPTION:Join us as we celebrate the book launch of Kristen Hoerl’s new book The Impossible Woman: Television\, Feminism\, and the Future! \nTo order your copy today\, visit the link HERE!\nAbout the Book:\nAlthough it may seem like the proliferation of strong women on television is a feminist achievement\, a deeper look into their stories tells us otherwise. The Impossible Woman examines a variety of scripted US television series across multiple genres to show how the cultural value of television’s extraordinarily talented female characters often rests upon their ability to endure—but not overcome—sexism. Looking at Parks and Recreation\, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt\, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel\, The Queen’s Gambit\, Game of Thrones\, and Queen of the South\, Hoerl argues that these series contribute to sexist realism\, or the cultural assumption that there is no alternative to patriarchy. Situating impossible women’s struggles in the context of contemporary feminist politics\, Hoerl explains how the problems facing television’s strongest women illustrate mainstream feminism’s paradoxical dependence upon on cultural misogyny\, neoliberal individualism\, and racism. The Impossible Woman encourages readers to seek out alternative stories that might help them envision more just feminist futures. \nAbout the Author:\nKRISTEN HOERL is an associate professor of rhetoric and public culture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is the author of The Bad Sixties: Hollywood Memories of the Counterculture\, Antiwar\, and Black Power Movements. \nPraise for The Impossible Woman:\n“The Impossible Woman provides a much-needed conceptual framework for understanding the proliferation of quality television series featuring extraordinarily talented female protagonists. Brilliantly demonstrating how strong female leads mediate and embody the contradictions around contemporary feminism\, the book also exposes media entertainment’s  disturbing and persistent inability to imagine a truly feminist future.”\n— Catherine Rottenberg \n“Hoerl’s rhetorical analysis of television is simply unparalleled. The Impossible Woman is a must-read for everyone interested in television’s portrayals of women and the backlash against contemporary feminist politics. Working across the landscape\, Hoerl demonstrates how television’s competing agendas routinely defang feminism. Hoerl’s work is insightful\, critical\, robust\, and ultimately optimistic—again\, unparalleled.”\n— Sarah Kornfield
URL:https://francieandfinch.com/event/book-launch-celebration-kristen-hoerl-the-impossible-woman-television-feminism-and-the-future/
LOCATION:Francie & Finch Bookshop\, 130 S. 13th Street\, Lincoln\, NE\, 68508\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://francieandfinch.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Kristen-Hoerl.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260219T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260219T193000
DTSTAMP:20260423T051855
CREATED:20260116T233407Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260121T183930Z
UID:10417-1771524000-1771529400@francieandfinch.com
SUMMARY:Beyond Adventure Speaker Series - Kevin Fedarko - ***at the Swanson Auditorium in the Nebraska Union
DESCRIPTION:On February 19th\, author and adventurer Kevin Fedarko\, will be presenting for the Beyond Adventure Speaker Series and signing books at the Swanson Auditorium in the Nebraska Union. You don’t want to miss it!\nAbout the Book:\nThe Grand Canyon is an American treasure\, visited by more than 6 million people a year\, many of whom are rendered speechless by its vast beauty\, mystery\, and complexity. Now\, in A Walk in the Park\, author Kevin Fedarko chronicles his year-long effort to find a 750-mile path along the length of the Grand Canyon\, through a vertical wilderness suspended between the caprock along the rims of the abyss and the Colorado River\, which flows along its bottom. Consisting of countless cliffs and steep drops\, plus immense stretches with almost no access to water\, and the fact that not a single trail links its eastern doorway to its western terminus\, this jewel of national parks is so challenging that when Fedarko departed fewer people had completed the journey in one single hike than had walked on the moon. The intensity of the effort required him to break his trip into several legs\, each of which held staggering dangers and unexpected discoveries. \nAbout the Author:\nKevin Fedarko has spent the past twenty years writing about conservation\, exploration\, and the Grand Canyon. He has been a staff writer at Time\, where he worked primarily on the foreign affairs desk\, and a senior editor at Outside\, where he covered outdoor adventure. His writing has appeared in National Geographic\, The New York Times\, and Esquire\, among other publications. He is the author of The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon\, which won the Reading the West Book Award\, and A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon\, which won the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction. Both books were also New York Times bestsellers and winners of a National Outdoor Book Award. Fedarko lives in Flagstaff\, Arizona.
URL:https://francieandfinch.com/event/beyond-adventure-speaker-series-kevin-fedarko-at-the-swanson-auditorium-in-the-nebraksa-union/
LOCATION:NE
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260221T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260221T190000
DTSTAMP:20260423T051855
CREATED:20260120T185916Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260203T185039Z
UID:10426-1771696800-1771700400@francieandfinch.com
SUMMARY:Visiting Authors - Lexi Rodriguez and Kelsi Kautz- The Big Little Dream
DESCRIPTION:Join us on Saturday\, February 21st as we welcome author and volleyball player Lexi Rodriguez and her co-author Kelsi Kautz to Francie & Finch Bookshop! Together they will present their new children’s book The Big Little Dream.\n“Working with Lexi on this project has been a dream. We can’t wait to see how The Big Little Dream resonates with young athletes and young readers around the world.” – Kelsi Kautz \nTo learn more abou the book\, visit https://www.thebiglittledream.com/\nAbout the Book:\nThis story dives into the life of Little Mia and her big dream – to find her sense of belonging through sport.\nIllustrated by Danika Runyan. Find her on Instagram! @danikas_drawings \nAbout the Authors:\nLexi Rodriguez is a 4 time All-American libero from the University of Nebraska\, Adidas affiliate athlete\, and AAU Sullivan Award Winner. Lexi is entering her second season in the United States’ first professional women’s volleyball league\, LOVB\, and represents Team USA in the Volleyball Nations League. Lexi’s participation in the 2023 Nebraska Volleyball Stadium Match sparked worldwide conversation about the importance of representation for women’s sports. The match was more than just a world record to the young athletes who witnessed it — it offered inspiration and validation that women’s sports are to be valued and celebrated on a world stage. Lexi hopes to deepen her connection with fans and readers through her debut children’s book\, The Big Little Dream. \nKelsi Kautz had a vision to bring to life the impact that Lexi and her teammates have had on female athletes around the world. With her combined experience in education and marketing\, she saw the opportunity to expand Lexi’s impact beyond the traditional\, and demonstrate the importance of representation in women’s sports in a new and creative way.
URL:https://francieandfinch.com/event/visiting-author-four-time-all-american-libero-lexi-rodriguez-the-big-little-dream/
LOCATION:Francie & Finch Bookshop\, 130 S. 13th Street\, Lincoln\, NE\, 68508\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://francieandfinch.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Lexi-Rodriguez-and-Kelsi-Kautz.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260224T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260224T183000
DTSTAMP:20260423T051855
CREATED:20260204T184143Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260211T182321Z
UID:10442-1771954200-1771957800@francieandfinch.com
SUMMARY:Book Launch- Melissa J. Homestead in conversation with Emily Rau - The Professor's House by Willa Cather
DESCRIPTION:Join us at Francie & Finch Bookshop as we celebrate the newest edition of Willa Cather’s The Professor’s House\, with Melissa Homestead! Homestead\, a Professor of English and Program Faculty in Women’s and Gender Studies at UNL\, brings to life this new edition with a brand new introduction and notes for those looking to dive deeper into the work of Cather. Melissa will be in conversation with Emily Rau\, Editor of the Willa Cather Archive.  We can’t wait to see you there!\n                               Order your copy of the book HERE\nABOUT THE BOOK:\n‘I knew at once I had come upon the city of some extinct civilization\, hidden away in this inaccessible mesa for centuries’ \nThe Professor’s House (1925) depicts the mid-life crisis of Godfrey St. Peter\, a history professor at a midwestern state university who is disillusioned with his wife and daughters\, his university\, and the materialism of American culture. He longs for Tom Outland\, his most brilliant student\, who died on a World War I battlefield. At the same time\, Tom’s recollection of discovering hidden cliff dweller ruins in New Mexico interrupt Godfrey’s narrative. Cather’s own experiences of travel in the Southwestern US with her partner\, Edith Lewis\, shadow and enrich her depictions of Tom’s New Mexican experiences. \nCather’s sixth novel is a compelling modernist work of art that raises questions that are still compelling a century later. What is the purpose of a university education? Are the sacrifices of war worth the outcome? To whom do the American past and the country’s future belong? A daring experiment in form\, the novel is haunted by war and love. \nABOUT THE SERIES:\nFor over 100 years Oxford World’s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford’s commitment to scholarship\, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features\, including expert introductions by leading authorities\, helpful notes to clarify the text\, up-to-date bibliographies for further study\, and much more. \nABOUT MELISSA J. HOMESTEAD\nMelissa J. Homestead is Professor of English and Program Faculty in Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln\, where she directs the Cather Project and is co-editor of The Complete Letters of Willa Cather. She has published widely on American women’s writing and authorship\, including American Women Authors and Literary Property (2005) and The Only Wonderful Things: The Creative Partnership of Willa Cather and Edith Lewis (2021). \nABOUT EMILY RAU:\nEmily J. Rau is an Assistant Professor in Digital Humanities in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries and the Editor of the Willa Cather Archive. She received her MA from Lehigh University and her PhD from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
URL:https://francieandfinch.com/event/book-launch-melissa-j-homestead-the-professors-house-by-willa-cather/
LOCATION:Francie & Finch Bookshop\, 130 S. 13th Street\, Lincoln\, NE\, 68508\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://francieandfinch.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Melissa-Homestead-1.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260303T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260303T183000
DTSTAMP:20260423T051855
CREATED:20260211T184443Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260211T190350Z
UID:10461-1772559000-1772562600@francieandfinch.com
SUMMARY:Book Launch - Carolyn Zeisset - Caught in the Middle
DESCRIPTION:Francie & Finch Bookshop is pleased to welcome back author and historian Carolyn Zeisset as she presents her newest novel for kids and adults\, Caught in the Middle\, a story about twelve-year-old Alice who is caught between childhood and adulthood\, changing women’s roles\, and World War I America and a German-speaking\, peace-church heritage. The novel follows Alice as she must decide who she is.\nOrder your copy HERE\nABOUT THE BOOK:\nAlice Janzen chafes that she must do all the girl chores in a family with five brothers. Her parents treat her like a child\, but expect her to be responsible for her little brother\, teaching him to write the German her family speaks\, though it is banned at school. Her parents say war is wrong\, but her brother Simon follows war news in the weekly paper. \nNew student Rebecca is the most interesting person in school\, though others belittle her. Alice learns Rebecca’s family lost their small farm to oil speculators and that the girl’s step-brothers are on the war’s front lines. \nFrau Fleming serves tea from a samovar and tells Alice about bringing it to America when the Russian czar changed rules so that German-speaking men had to be in his army. She says if she must move again\, she will take the samovar\, “unless there is a girl who keeps our ways.” \nPeople harass German-speaking neighbors\, especially members of peace churches. During a raid that vandalizes farms\, Rebecca’s little brother falls off his horse as he rides with the mob. Rebecca blames Alice for her brother’s fall. Alice’s three draft-age brothers each understand their religious beliefs differently and have different war experiences. Alice’s sister and husband emigrate to Canada when they are threatened with imprisonment. Spanish flu closes public places and spreads in military camps. \nAfter the war\, Alice learns that Rebecca’s brother was wounded in battle\, and Simon saved him. Alice thinks she should write a story about Rebecca’s brothers\, but she is torn by the feeling she should instead write her own brothers’ story. What decision will she make? \nABOUT THE AUTHOR:\nAs she grew up\, Carolyn Zeisset was interested in ways families of her father (English-Scotch-Irish) and mother (German from Russia) were different and alike. This sparked a life-long interest in culture\, language\, and history\, She heard stories all around her and wrote and illustrated her first story at the age of eight. \nHer first historical novel\, Then the Rules Changed (2022)\, tells a story of Isaac\, a boy whose family immigrates from South Russia to the Great Plains in the 1870s. The new one\, Caught in the Middle\, shows Alice\, Isaac’s young daughter\, caught between identities as an American with German-speaking heritage during World War I. Readers of both books are 9-99+. \nCarolyn is a life-long educator and has taught and written curriculum for preschool\, elementary\, middle school\, and adult levels in public school\, religious\, and business settings.
URL:https://francieandfinch.com/event/book-launch-carolyn-zeisset-caught-in-the-middle/
LOCATION:Francie & Finch Bookshop\, 130 S. 13th Street\, Lincoln\, NE\, 68508\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://francieandfinch.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Carolyn-Zeisset-1.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260314T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260314T180000
DTSTAMP:20260423T051855
CREATED:20260127T181448Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260127T184943Z
UID:10436-1773505800-1773511200@francieandfinch.com
SUMMARY:Book Launch - Alison Pearce Stevens - When Beavers Move In
DESCRIPTION:Join us as we welcome back beloved children’s author Alison Pearce Stevens as she brings hands on demonstrations to dive us into the world of her newest book When Beavers Move In!\nPre-Order your copy today by following the link HERE! \nAbout the Book:\nWhen beavers move in\, they chew down a tree.\nThey nibble the bark.\nAnd they drag the branches into a stream. \nBeavers topple trees and build dams\, which can cause floods and disrupt neighborhoods. So what do we do when beavers move in? In Puget Sound\, we call the Tulalip Tribes. They send biologists to help relocate our furry friends to a place far from people\, where the beavers can be free. \nPoetic text and gorgeous art makes this an irresistible read with gentle STEM tie-in. \nAbout the Author and Illustrator:\nAlison Pearce Stevens is a former scientist who writes award-winning nonfiction books for the world’s most curious people to inspire them to protect the world outside their doorstep. She is the author of Junior Library Guild Gold Standard books Rhinos in Nebraska: The Amazing Discovery of the Ashfall Fossil Beds (which won the Nebraska Book Award in three categories) and Animal Climate Heroes (March 5\, 2024). She co-authored National Geographic Kids Books’ 5\,000 Awesome Facts 3 and three books in their Weird But True series and has published hundreds of STEM-based magazine and online articles for kids. \nTo learn more about Alison\, visit apstevens.com. \nNatasha Donovan is an illustrator originally from Vancouver\, Canada. She works primarily on children’s books but also loves illustrating comics and graphic novels. Past titles include the award-winning Mothers of Xsan series by Brett Huson\, Classified by Traci Sorell\, and When the Stars Came Home by Brittany Luby.
URL:https://francieandfinch.com/event/book-launch-alison-pearce-stevens-when-beavers-move-in/
LOCATION:Francie & Finch Bookshop\, 130 S. 13th Street\, Lincoln\, NE\, 68508\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://francieandfinch.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Alison-Pearce-Stevens-When-Beavers-Move-In.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260321T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260321T173000
DTSTAMP:20260423T051855
CREATED:20260304T182642Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260304T191008Z
UID:10475-1774110600-1774114200@francieandfinch.com
SUMMARY:Poetry Reading - 'until there are no words left' - Nebraska Poets Writing Amidst the Storm
DESCRIPTION:Join us on Saturday\, March 21st at 4:30 PM as we welcome 5 Nebraska poets to read from the new book ‘until there are no words left’ – Nebraska Poets on Writing Amidst the Storm\, in which they all contributed!\nThis book was edited by Chuck Peek. \nPhip Ross – Fulbright Scholar\, teaches at SCC\nJes Vetter – Motivated by the opportunity to make a difference\nMary K. Stillwell – Author of The Life and Poetry of Ted Kooser (NU Press)\nRachel Hruza – Writer\, teaches English at SCC\nTwyla M. Hansen – Nebraska State Poet 2013-2018 \nTO ORDER A COPY OF THE BOOK STOP BY THE SHOP OR CALL US AT 402-781-0459
URL:https://francieandfinch.com/event/until-tpoetry-reading-there-are-no-words-left-nebraska-poets-writing-amidst-the-storm/
LOCATION:Francie & Finch Bookshop\, 130 S. 13th Street\, Lincoln\, NE\, 68508\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://francieandfinch.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/March-2026-Poetry-Reading-2.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260328T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260328T173000
DTSTAMP:20260423T051855
CREATED:20260317T171156Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260317T173436Z
UID:10495-1774715400-1774719000@francieandfinch.com
SUMMARY:Visiting Author - Ron Rosmann - A Practical Farmer's Journey: A History of Community\, Stewardship\, and Resilience
DESCRIPTION:Join us at Francie & Finch Bookshop as we welcome farmer and author Ron Rosmann! He will be talking about his work in sustainable and organic farming\, and will give us a “blueprint” for sustainable farming in our own area.\nStop by the shop or follow the link HERE to order your copy today!\nAbout the Book:\nPart historical memoir and part “blueprint” for sustainable farming and the future of agricultural communities\, this works follows the life of a born and raised farmer\, and the changes to his trade witnessed over a lifetime. \nA Practical Farmer’s Journey revolves around three promises. The first was fulfilled for many immigrants who came and settled in western Iowa\, allowing them to purchase land\, start farms\, and build new lives and communities. The second promise\, however\, was broken during Ron L. Rosmann’s fifty-year farming career\, when the corporatization and industrialization of agriculture led to farm consolidation\, monocropping and vertical integration\, ecological destruction\, and the steady decline of rural communities. The third promise focuses on restoring what was broken\, detailing how agricultural communities can adopt thoughtful and sustainable farming practices. Through the narrative of the farmer and author\, using these promises as its framework\, this book explores how to combat climate change in agriculture and create healthier farms and food systems\, aiming to restore the unfulfilled potential of rural America. \nAbout the Author:\nRon and Maria Rosmann\, along with two of their sons\, David and Daniel and families\, own and operate Rosmann Family Farms near Harlan in western Iowa. Their third son\, Mark\, works for the Foreign Agricultural Service of USDA as a Foreign Service officer in Bogota\, Colombia. Ron is now semi-retired. He and Maria turned over the farming business to their sons David and Daniel in 2025. Ron started farming in 1973 upon graduation from Iowa State University with a B.S. degree in Biology. He stopped the use of pesticides in 1983 on their farm. They have been certified organic since 1994. \nThey now have a 700-acre diversified organic crop and livestock farm raising over 15 crops annually. Some of these crops include corn\, soy\, oats\, wheat\, barley\, hybrid rye\, field peas\, popcorn\, hay\, pasture\, and numerous cover crops They have a cow-calf operation\, a farrow to finish hog operation and egg layer operation. Maria has a store on the farm named “Farm Sweet Farm” which began in 2012. Daniel and his wife\, Ellen\, own and operate a local foods restaurant in Harlan that is called “Milk and Honey”. \nRon helped to start the “Practical Farmers of Iowa” (PFI) in 1986 and was the second board president. This organization now numbers over 10\,000 members. The organization is dedicated to doing on-farm research trials to both improve individual profitability and environmental sustainability but also to share with other farmers and their rural communities. The goal is to create viable farms and vibrant rural communities. He and his two sons have completed over 50 randomized and replicated on-farm research trials with PFI and Iowa State University. He was on the board of the Organic Farming Research Foundation in Santa Cruz\, California from 1998-2004\, serving as board president for three years. He was on the board of National Catholic Rural Life in Saint Paul\, Minnesota from 2012-2018. He has been very active over the years in his local parish of St. Boniface\, Westphalia\, Iowa. \nRon has been involved in agricultural policy work all of his career as a farmer. He has testified numerous times before the United States Senate and House of Representatives Agricultural Committees. \nRon has written numerous articles and editorials in several magazines and newspapers\, including Newsweek\, The Des Moines Register\, and the Omaha World Herald. \nHe has recently written a book entitled: “A Practical Farmer’s Journey\, A History of Community\, Stewardship\, and Resilience”. The publishing company is Hamilton Books which is a division of Bloomsbury Press. \nRon and Maria have seven grandchildren\, one of whom is deceased. They have been married for 47 years.
URL:https://francieandfinch.com/event/visiting-author-ron-rosmann-a-practical-farmers-journey-a-history-of-community-stewardship-and-resilience/
LOCATION:Francie & Finch Bookshop\, 130 S. 13th Street\, Lincoln\, NE\, 68508\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://francieandfinch.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ron-Rosmann-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260418T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260418T173000
DTSTAMP:20260423T051855
CREATED:20260318T172612Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260318T175403Z
UID:10500-1776529800-1776533400@francieandfinch.com
SUMMARY:Visiting Author - Elizabeth Zaleski - The Trouble with Loving Poets and Other Essays on Failure
DESCRIPTION:With excitement\, Francie & Finch welcomes you to join us for a visit from author Elizabeth Zaleski! She will be presenting her new book of personal essays\, The Trouble with Loving Poets and Other Essays on Failure and writes about the book\, “If you’ll bear with me\, we’re going to get a bit technical. And then\, I promise\, it will all start to matter.”\nTo order a copy\, follow the link HERE!\nAbout the Book:\nWhether failing to restrain herself from trying to find greater meaning in roadkill\, or to convince her dad that psychedelic mushrooms will not save his marriage\, or to believably perform enthusiasm for her teammates\, Elizabeth Zaleski is trying hard and failing spectacularly\, and thankfully\, she takes us along for the ride. \nFunny\, intimate\, and candid\, The Trouble with Loving Poets and Other Essays on Failure debuts an exciting new voice. From growing up in a quirky family in rural northeast Ohio and attending a Mennonite high school as a lapsed Catholic to struggling to get over a particularly well-endowed lover and suffering intestinal calamity while searching for closure\, Zaleski’s stories are at once captivating in their singularity and recognizable in their truthfulness. Fans of Tim Kreider and Sloane Crosley will appreciate Zaleski’s levity and wit as she takes aim at such time-honored institutions as pet ownership and gives clear-eyed dispatches from the no man’s land that is an HPV diagnosis. \nAs Zaleski writes\, “If you’ll bear with me\, we’re going to get a bit technical. And then\, I promise\, it will all start to matter.” \nAbout the Author:\nElizabeth Zaleski is the author of The Trouble with Loving Poets and Other Essays on Failure. Elizabeth grew up in rural northeast Ohio\, in Amish country. After living and traveling all over the US\, she now lives in slightly less rural northeast Ohio\, outside Akron. She works as an editor and is the curator of GreatFartsofLiterature.com. Her essays have appeared in journals such as Hippocampus\, The Normal School\, and The Missouri Review. \nPraise for The Trouble with Loving Poets and Other Essays on Failure:\n“Funny and introspective. . . . Wit and intelligence shine through the prose.” —Julia Dillman\, Foreword Reviews \n“I read an advanced copy of Elizabeth Zaleski’s The Trouble with Loving Poets and Other Essays on Failure based on a single newsletter sent out from her publisher at Belt\, Anne Trubek. It’s a delight to pick up a book by a writer totally unknown to you and finish it in a single day.” —Austin Kleon\, NYT-bestselling author of Steal Like an Artis \n“Softly deviant\, . . . [Zaleski’s] collection of essays on failure is charming and frank and disproves my hypothesis that publishers only release personal essay collections by the world’s dullest people. Zaleski: not dull! An oddball from rural Ohio with a crazy family who writes what I always wanted ‘alt lit’ to be: the lucid prose of an original mind living an unconventional life. . . . It is the type of book destined to be ignored by the few remaining reviewing organs\, and everything about it is hostile to any conceivable algorithm. So\, vote with your dollars!” —Molly Young\, former book critic for the NYT\, book recommender extraordinaire\, and maker of many cool things \n“Turns breakups\, lost faith and literary letdowns into sharply funny reflections on failure. . . . I would call the score-keeping unhealthy if it weren’t so funny[\, but] I must admire the courage Zaleski provides in her unsparing honesty.” —Brendan Tynan Buck\, Newcity Lit
URL:https://francieandfinch.com/event/visiting-author-elizabeth-zaleski-the-trouble-with-loving-poets-and-other-essays-on-failure/
LOCATION:Francie & Finch Bookshop\, 130 S. 13th Street\, Lincoln\, NE\, 68508\, United States
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260419T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260419T170000
DTSTAMP:20260423T051855
CREATED:20260408T172400Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260408T190748Z
UID:10510-1776585600-1776618000@francieandfinch.com
SUMMARY:Tom Hallman\, Jr.\, - Dispatches Across America
DESCRIPTION:Calling all writers that believe in the power of story to connect\, illuminate and move readers.\n  \nTom Hallman Jr.\, who won the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing\, is a senior editor at Colliers magazine. He is in charge of Dispatches Across America\, a gathering place for stories that rise from the ground beneath our feet that reveal the texture of American life. Here\, essays and stories arrive like brushstrokes on our vast cultural canvas\, each one drawn from somewhere across the heartland. A small town at dusk\, a metropolitan city after dark\, a fleeting moment\, a hidden subculture\, a quiet crossroads. \nTogether\, they form a living portrait of America as it is felt in real time — tender\, restless\, ordinary\, extraordinary. It is the voice of the people\, shared with the nation. \nIf you are interested in contributing\, contact Tom at thallmanjr@gmail.com \nAll of Tom’s books\, Stories from the Banks\, Dispatches from 1320\, Sam: the Boy Behind the Mask and A Strangers Gift are all available for puchase at Francie & Finch Bookshop.
URL:https://francieandfinch.com/event/dispatches-across-america/
LOCATION:NE
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://francieandfinch.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/tom-hallman.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260425T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260425T173000
DTSTAMP:20260423T051855
CREATED:20260325T172951Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260422T212252Z
UID:10505-1777111200-1777138200@francieandfinch.com
SUMMARY:Independent Bookstore Day 2026
DESCRIPTION:Come take part in Independent Bookstore Day 2026! We will be open from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM in celebration of the special role that independent bookstores hold in our communities. We can’t wait to see you there!\nFrancie & Finch Bookshop is pleased to welcome the following authors during this celebration:\nAlan Bartels will be at the shop from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM\, presenting his new book Secret Nebraska Sandhills: A Guide to the Weird\, Wonderful\, and Obscure.\nAbout the Author:\nWhen not writing\, lifelong Nebraskan and US Army veteran Alan J. Bartels works a day job devoted to natural resources conservation. He’s been published in National Geographic\, USA Today\, and Smithsonian’s Air & Space Magazine. In 2025 Alan received the Friend of the Byway award from the Sandhills Journey National Scenic Byway and the Friend of Tourism award from the Nebraska Tourism Commission. A past governor bestowed Alan with the honorary title of Admiral in the Great Navy of the State of Nebraska–quite a feat considering Nebraska’s triple landlocked location.\nAbout the Book:\nIn Secret Nebraska Sandhills: A Guide to the Weird\, Wonderful\, and Obscure\, longtime Nebraskan storyteller and photographer Alan J. Bartels provides a one-of-a-kind look into the region’s lesser-known history and culture\, discovered sometimes by accident but also through dogged research\, and folklore\, memories\, and mythology shared by generous Sandhills residents. \nPatti Cherney will be at the shop from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM\, presenting her new children’s book Mikey the Monkey Meets the Dentist.\nAbout the Author:\nWith over 45 years of experience as a dental hygienist\, author Patti Cherney is passionate about educating patients and promoting lifelong oral health. Her clinical background spans pedodontics\, periodontics\, and general dentistry. For more than 25 years\, she has also served as an educator for dentists and dental hygienists\, and currently teaches as adjunct clinical faculty in periodontology at Creighton University School of Dentistry.\nAbout the Book:\nA toothache turns into a teachable moment when Mikey the Monkey meets a kind and clever dentist who helps him smile again. Through four simple steps\, Mikey learns how to keep his teeth healthy—making dental visits less scary and a lot more fun! Written by a real dental hygienist\, this charming story helps kids:\n• Learn what happens at the dentist\n• Build good brushing and fl ossing habits\n• Feel confi dent about dental care
URL:https://francieandfinch.com/event/independent-bookstore-day-2/
LOCATION:Francie & Finch Bookshop\, 130 S. 13th Street\, Lincoln\, NE\, 68508\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://francieandfinch.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IBD-2026.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260502T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260502T173000
DTSTAMP:20260423T051855
CREATED:20260408T175032Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260408T182135Z
UID:10514-1777739400-1777743000@francieandfinch.com
SUMMARY:Visiting Author - Michael Clair -  We Sacrifice Everything to Baseball: How the Czech Republic's Amateur Underdogs Became World Baseball Classic Heroes
DESCRIPTION:Join us at 4:30 PM on Saturday\, May 2nd as we welcome Michael Clair an author and reporter at MLB.com specializing in international baseball and the World Baseball Classic. His new book We Sacrifice Everything to Baseball dives into the remarkable story of the Czech Republic’s national baseball team\, moving from underdogs to a team on the world stage.\nAbout the Book:\nDespite long odds and low funds\, the Czech Republic’s national baseball team of amateur players managed to shock the world at the 2023 World Baseball Classic—the sport’s World Cup—when they took an upset win against Spain in the WBC qualifiers and then defeated China in the actual tournament\, securing their place in the upcoming 2026 tournament. While the rest of the teams in the WBC rely on experienced professionals\, and some like Italy and Great Britain bring in American “passport” players\, the Czech Republic’s roster consists almost entirely of amateur players who were born and have played only within the Central European nation. The team’s roster consists of firefighters\, teachers\, financial auditors\, and field caretakers—even the manager is a neurologist!—and yet the team managed to not only compete on the international stage but succeed against global superstars like Shohei Ohtani. \nIn a world where athletes have become multi-million-dollar legends\, We Sacrifice Everything to Baseball reveals how teamwork\, sacrifice\, and self-belief can still make a difference. Michael Clair\, who spent time with the Czech team throughout the 2023 World Baseball Classic\, has unparalleled insight on the team and their unlikely success. \nLike the Jamaican bobsled team in Cool Runnings\, Leicester City’s unexpected Premier League soccer title\, and the United States’ remarkable victory against Russia in the 1980 Olympics\, the Czech Republic baseball team has an underdog story everyone can cheer for. Their story proves it’s still possible to build a team from the ground up\, with a small player pool\, little attention\, and a low budget\, and compete on the world stage. \n\n\n\nAbout the Author:\nMichael Clair is a reporter at MLB.com\, specializing in international baseball and the World Baseball Classic. He has written and appeared on the MLB Network shows Carded and Inside Stitch\, featured in the coverage of official World Baseball Classic\, London Series\, and All-Star Game programs\, and has published in Baseball Prospectus and its associated annuals\, as well as Japanese baseball magazine Number. Clair was given the 2024 Global Ambassador Award by MLB. \n\n\nPraise for We Sacrifice Everything to Baseball:\n“Baseball came to Czechoslovakia in 1921\, but the sport has faced a long\, jagged road to penetrate the heart of Central Europe. In We Sacrifice Everything to Baseball Michael Clair chronicles the hardscrabble push of a ragtag group of amateurs determined to do it the right way: homegrown. Clair takes us along as this endearing team of underdogs chases glory on the world stage—or\, if not quite glory\, something perhaps more lasting\, like progress\, respect\, and the fulfillment of a dream that maybe\, just maybe\, baseball can become a truly global pastime.”—Tyler Kepner\, author of the New York Times bestseller K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches and The Grandest Stage: A History of the World Series \n“You’ll never find an author and subject better suited for one another\, and Michael Clair’s passion for Czech baseball shines brightly on every page of this delightful book.”—Rob Neyer\, award-winning baseball author and commissioner of the West Coast League \n“Underdog stories usually end in victory. The Czech Republic’s improbable run in the 2023 World Baseball Classic\, with players who had day jobs as firefighters\, electricians\, and teachers\, shows us\, however\, that triumph and victory are not the same thing.”—Craig Calcaterra\, Cup of Coffee newsletter \n“Not long ago\, even the thought that a book might one day be written about the story of Czech baseball would have seemed far too bold—almost unthinkable. Let alone in English. Let alone in the very cradle of the greatest sport in the world. . . . Michael Clair captivates with his passion for the game\, his devotion to everything he believes in. It is an immense honor that he found inspiration in the story of a small country with big baseball dreams.”—Pavel Chadim\, Czech Republic national baseball team manager
URL:https://francieandfinch.com/event/visiting-author-michael-clair-we-sacrifice-everything-to-baseball-how-the-czech-republics-amateur-underdogs-became-world-baseball-classic-heroes/
LOCATION:Francie & Finch Bookshop\, 130 S. 13th Street\, Lincoln\, NE\, 68508\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://francieandfinch.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Michael-Clair.jpg
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