NLHA’s Lunch at the Library | Lincoln City Libraries

Sponsored by the Nebraska Literary Heritage Association

All lunch talks will be held on the 4th floor of Bennett Martin Public Library during the months of October, November, December, February, March, and April. Except as noted, the 30-minute programs start at 12:10 p.m. Tours of the Jane Pope Geske Heritage Room of Nebraska Authors on the 3rd floor will be available after the programs. Bring your lunch; coffee provided courtesy of The Mill.

Videos from some Lunch at the Library presentations are available in this YouTube playlist.

Wednesday, February 4, 2026 12:10 p.m. Matt Steinhausen’s latest book, The Unauthorized Biography of Lincoln, Nebraska, explores the history of Nebraska’s capital city through photos, fascinating stories, and myth-busting insights. A sixth-generation Nebraskan, Steinhausen is a photographer and preservationist who earns his living conducting home and commercial property inspections. It is also reported that he has never used a smartphone or drunk a cup of coffee. His first book, The Least Interesting Place, is a coffee-table book with a tongue-in-cheek title that features beautiful — and genuinely interesting — photographs of Nebraska.

Wednesday, March 4, 2026 12:10 p.m. While earning her PhD in literature, Linda Pawlenty worked as a concrete mixer driver, navigating life as a working-class laborer in academia and as a woman academic in construction. In her book, Clutch, she reflects on moving between these worlds—the satisfaction of mastering heavy machinery, the pride of being the first in her family to pursue a doctorate, and the challenges of sexual harassment and classism. Through these experiences, Pawlenty offers a sharp perspective on gender, class, labor, and whiteness, examining how power and belonging shift across contexts and illuminating what it means to claim space where one is not always welcome.
Wednesday, April 1, 2026 12:10 p.m. Mary Ann Marko will discuss her book, 4 1/2 Miles West of Sidney, a collection of stories, essays, and poems written over many years in which Marko illuminates what it was like growing up in Western Nebraska. Initially, she intended the books only for family and future generations but, surprisingly, they took on a wider interest.

2025 Programs

Wednesday, February 5, 2025
12:10 p.m.
Jerry Bockoven will discuss his latest book, What Rhymes With Therapy? Poetic Pathways to Hope and Healing in Troubled Times.

~~Wednesday, March 5, 2025~~
~~12:10 p.m.~~
~~Mary Ann Marko will discuss her book,~~ ~~4 1/2 Miles West of Sidney~~. Canceled due to inclement weather

Wednesday, April 2, 2025
12:10 p.m.
Tosca Lee will discuss her book, The Long March Home: A World War II Novel of the Pacific, which is the 2025 One Book One Nebraska selection.

Wednesday, October 1, 2025
12:10 p.m.
Kwame Gyamfi will discuss his book, Prism of Perspectives: The Life and Names of Kwame Gyamfi, sharing he journey through foster care, adoption, gang violence, and prison - and how sports, music, and love shaped him into the mentor he is today.

Wednesday, November 5, 2025
12:10 p.m.
Alison Pearce Stevens author of Rhinos in Nebraska and Animal Climate Heroes will discuss her latest book, Detective Dogs: How Working Dogs Sniff Out Invasive Species.

Wednesday, December 3, 2025
12:10 p.m.
Max Perry Mueller, UNL professor and author of Race and the Making of the Mormon People, will discuss his book, Wakara's America: The Life and Legacy of a Native Founder of the American West.

2024 Programs

Wednesday, February 7, 2024
12:10 p.m.
Theodore Wheeler will discuss his latest book, The War Begins in Paris.

Wednesday, March 6, 2024
12:10 p.m.
Carla Ketner will discuss her latest book, Ted Kooser: More Than A Local Wonder.

Wednesday, April 3, 2024
12:10 p.m.
Gail Shaffer Blankenau will discuss her latest book, Journey to Freedom: Uncovering the Grayson Sisters’ Escape from Nebraska Territory.

Wednesday, October 2, 2024
12:10 p.m.
Colby Coash will discuss his book, Running Naked: Surviving the Legacy of Family in Rural Nebraska.

Wednesday, November 6, 2024
12:10 p.m.
Uche Okonkwo will discuss her book, A Kind of Madness.

Wednesday, December 4, 2024
12:10 p.m.
Alan J. Bartels will discuss his book, 100 Things to Do in the Nebraska Sandhills Before you Die.