Kearney Public Library

History brownbag with Dr. Hannah Lahti (Read More)

In conjunction with the Americans and the Holocaust traveling exhibition at the Calvin T. Ryan Library on the University of Nebraska Kearney campus, a lunchtime lecture will be held at the Kearney Public Library. As the Holocaust persisted in Europe, Americans reacted to the humanitarian crisis in real time and memorialized its victims. In the decades that followed, memorial efforts in the United States evolved and expanded to create new archives, museums, and media to preserve Holocaust memory. Dr. Hannah Lahti, Assistant Professor of History & Public History, will highlight the various ways the Holocaust was memorialized in the United States from World War II to the present day, and how those efforts have changed over time. For more information about the exhibit and other related events, visit the exhibit website.

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Film screening and discussion: Most Honorable Son (Read More)

Black and white photo of Ben Kuroki in military uniform, with the film title Most Honorable Son.
In conjunction with the Americans and the Holocaust traveling exhibition at the Calvin T. Ryan Library on the University of Nebraska Kearney campus, the 1970 film "Most Honorable Son" will be screened at the Kearney Public Library. Most Honorable Son tells the story of Nebraskan Ben Kuroki. Kuroki was the only Japanese American in the US Army Air Forces to serve in combat in the Pacific. The post-film panel discussion features Vickie Sakurada Shaepler, Japanese Hall Coordinator, Dr. Donna Andersen, UNL, and Dr. Nathan Tye, UNK, discussing Japanese Americans, Nebraska, and World War II. For more information about the exhibit and other related events, visit the exhibit website.

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German POW Camps Panel Discussion (Read More)

In conjunction with the Americans and the Holocaust traveling exhibition at the Calvin T. Ryan Library on the University of Nebraska Kearney campus, a panel discussion will be held at the Kearney Public Library. During World War II, Nebraska was the site of several prisoner of war (POW) camps. Join expert panelists for a discussion of German POWs in Nebraska, POW sites such as Camp Atlanta and Fort Robinson, and World War II in Nebraska. The Americans and the Holocaust exhibit asks “what did Americans know?”, a question learning about German POWs, and what they knew and shared with Nebraskans, can help us answer. In addition to talking about events of the 1940s, panelists will also discuss how historic sites interpret this fascinating history. Panelists include Dr. Cole Kruger - Kilgore College, Melissa Amateis - University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Will Kessen - Ft. Robinson State Historical Park, and Micah Hueser - Nebraska Prairie Museum. For more information about the exhibit and other related events, visit the exhibit website.

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Kearney Area Storytelling Festival: Stories for All Ages (Read More)

At the Kearney Area Storytelling Festival, professional storytellers—along with area tellers—present the art of storytelling in many area venues. On February 8 at the Kearney Public Library, Geraldine Buckley and Don White will present two "Stories for All Ages" sessions in partnership with local storytellers. At 1 p.m., Allan Jenkins will be a teller. At 3 p.m. Josh Pierce will be a teller. Geraldine Buckley, known for her wit, warmth and humor, is an internationally known and award-winning storyteller and educator. With 30 years of experience, she shares folk tales and Greek myths, mainly in schools, and conducts storytelling and creative/meditative workshops. She performs true stories based on her own globe-trotting adventures at festivals, schools, theatres, house-concerts, prisons and conferences, and performs her educational storytelling show “Tea In The Slammer” in criminal justice departments of universities and other settings. There is no one-word description for what Don White does. He’s an award-winning singer/songwriter, comedian, author and storyteller. He’s been bringing audiences to laughter and tears for over thirty years, released ten CDs, three live DVDs, and two books, Memoirs of a C Student and The Hitchhiking Years. In 2011, he won the Jerry Christen Memorial Award, given out by Boston Area Coffeehouse Association, for his work with the community and that same year was given a key to the city in his hometown of Lynn, Massachusetts. Please visit the Kearney Area Storytelling Festival website for the full range of events in Kearney and Lexington and complete speaker bios.

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Kearney Area Storytelling Festival: Stories for All Ages (Read More)

At the Kearney Area Storytelling Festival, professional storytellers—along with area tellers—present the art of storytelling in many area venues. On February 4, Geraldine Buckley will present Stories for All Ages at the Kearney Public Library. Geraldine Buckley, known for her wit, warmth and humor, is an internationally known and award-winning storyteller and educator. With 30 years of experience, she shares folk tales and Greek myths, mainly in schools, and conducts storytelling and creative/meditative workshops. She performs true stories based on her own globe-trotting adventures at festivals, schools, theatres, house-concerts, prisons and conferences, and performs her educational storytelling show “Tea In The Slammer” in criminal justice departments of universities and other settings. Please visit the Kearney Area Storytelling Festival website for the full range of events in Kearney and Lexington and complete speaker bios.

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Page to Stage Beauty and the Beast: Kearney (Read More)

Nationally-acclaimed actors from Crane River Theater's upcoming production of Beauty and the Beast transform the page into a stage in an interactive and engaging hour-long performance. Join Belle, the Beast, Lumiere, Cogsworth, and all your favorite characters as they read, perform, and interact in this one-hour workshop. It's a “tale as old as time” and a fairytale adventure you don’t want to miss! Event is sponsored by the Kearney Public Library.

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Page to Stage The Spongebob Musical: Kearney (Read More)

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea and is now headed to Kearney? It’s SpongeBob SquarePants! Join him and all his friends as they come to life on stage in this brilliant, bright, and hilarious production. The stakes are higher than ever as SpongeBob, Patrick, and all of Bikini Bottom face the total annihilation of their undersea world. Chaos erupts. Lives hang in the balance. And just when all hope seems lost, a most unexpected hero rises up and takes center stage. The power of optimism really can save the world! Event is sponsored by the Kearney Public Library.

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How the Light Gets In: Poetry Reading with Lucy Adkins, Amy Plettner, & Marge Saiser (Read More)

Prairie Art Brothers and the Kearney Public Library present an evening of live poetry reading with Lucy Adkins, Amy Plettner, & Marge Saiser as part of the "How the Light Gets In" poetry month celebration. Nebraska State Poet Matt Mason will also be presenting the Celebrate Kearney Crowd-Sourced Poem via video at 7 p.m. Lucy Adkins grew up in rural Nebraska and attended country schools and the University of Nebraska before earning a BA from Auburn University. She is the author of "One Life Shining: Addie Finch," "Farmwife," and a non-fiction book "Writing in Community: Say Goodbye to Writer’s Block," co-written with Becky Breed. Her poetry has been published in various journals, magazines, and several anthologies. Amy Plettner holds an MFA from the University of Nebraska. She lives and works on a tall grass prairie in southeast Nebraska where she's learned to wrangle snakes, wasps, and small mammals. Her first book was "Undoing Orion’s Belt," her poems have been anthologized, and her latest book is "Points of Entry." Marjorie Saiser is the author of eight books of poetry and co-editor of two anthologies. Her work has been published in "American Life in Poetry," "PoetryMagazine.com," and other journals. She earned her master’s degree in creative writing at UNL and has received the WILLA Award and the High Plains Book Award.

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Writers’ Workshop with Lucy Adkins, Amy Plettner, & Marge Saiser (Read More)

Prairie Art Brothers and the Kearney Public Library present a writers' workshop with poets Lucy Adkins, Amy Plettner, & Marge Saiser as part of the "How the Light Gets In" poetry month celebration. Registration is required, and the workshop fee is $15. Lucy Adkins grew up in rural Nebraska and attended country schools and the University of Nebraska before earning a BA from Auburn University. She is the author of "One Life Shining: Addie Finch," "Farmwife," and a non-fiction book "Writing in Community: Say Goodbye to Writer’s Block," co-written with Becky Breed. Her poetry has been published in various journals, magazines, and several anthologies. Amy Plettner holds an MFA from the University of Nebraska. She lives and works on a tall grass prairie in southeast Nebraska where she's learned to wrangle snakes, wasps, and small mammals. Her first book was "Undoing Orion’s Belt," her poems have been anthologized, and her latest book is "Points of Entry." Marjorie Saiser is the author of eight books of poetry and co-editor of two anthologies. Her work has been published in "American Life in Poetry," "PoetryMagazine.com," and other journals. She earned her master’s degree in creative writing at UNL and has received the WILLA Award and the High Plains Book Award.

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How the Light Gets In: Poetry Reading with Matt Mason (Read More)

Prairie Art Brothers and the Kearney Public Library present an evening of live poetry reading with Nebraska State Poet Matt Mason as part of the "How the Light Gets In" poetry month celebration. Matt Mason is the Nebraska State Poet and was Executive Director of the Nebraska Writers Collective from 2009-2022. Through the US State Department, he has run workshops in Botswana, Romania, Nepal, and Belarus. Mason is the recipient of a Pushcart Prize and fellowships from the Academy of American Poets and the Nebraska Arts Council. His work can be found in "The New York Times," on NPR’s "Morning Edition," in "American Life in Poetry," and more. Mason’s 4th book, "At the Corner of Fantasy and Main: Disneyland, Midlife and Churros," was released by The Old Mill Press in 2022. Matt is based out of Omaha with his wife, the poet Sarah McKinstry-Brown, and daughters Sophia and Lucia.

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