HAUNTED WEST

A VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR OF THE HAUNTED WEST

Who? Boo! Or boo hoo? The bold, experimental, and entertaining books from the University of Nebraska Press have the wonderful and exhilarating ability to haunt the  imaginations of their readers long after the narratives conclude. The afterlife of the books speaks to the engaging storytelling ability of the authors as well as the hold that violent death and the supernatural have on our collective imaginations. Whether it’s legendary monsters such as Bigfoot stalking the high country or space aliens invading the Plains—belief or disbelief aside—they have a lived presence in our lives.

Similarly, acts of violence and criminality have shaped our legal and cultural worlds while also creating haunting grim stories that inspire or terrify the imaginations of successive generations. Stories of murder and madness provide endless fodder for Hollywood, but the legacy of the courts and asylums creates a dark mental earworm generating cycles of fear and uncertainty.  Equally haunting are the large ornamental cemeteries set in the heart of cities, mass graves on a battlefield, and lonely graves deteriorating outside an old mining town, which continue to ensure that the life of the afterlife is influential and meaningful.

Cynics and non-believers might dismiss the notion of ghosts or supernatural presences, but their ongoing presence and influence in our storytelling is undeniable. We hope you won’t deny yourself in indulging in a haunted tour of the vast virtual offerings from the press. 

BOOK TOUR STOPS

  1. The Enigma Woman
    LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
  2. In Cold Storage
    MCCOOK, NEBRASKA
  3. A Guide to the Ghosts of Lincoln
    LINCOLN, NEBRASKA
  4. Oklahoma’s Atticus
    TULSA, OKLAHOMA
  5. Vanished in Hiawatha
    CANTON, SOUTH DAKOTA
  6. Virginia City
    VIRGINIA CITY, NEVADA
  7. Monster Trek
    WIND RIVER RANGE, WYOMING
  8. Midwestern Strange
    ELKHORN, WISCONSIN
  9. The Reluctant Pilgrim
    DANNEBROG, NEBRASKA
  10. Pioneer Cemeteries
    DENVER, COLORADO