Archive
Intimate Book Talk-Signing for “Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film” – Saturday, Nov. 5 @ Indigo Bridge Books in Lincoln
Intimate Book Talk-Signing for “Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film” – Saturday, Nov. 5 from 3 to 4:30 pm @ Indigo Bridge Books in Lincoln, NE
-
3 PM – 4:30 PM
-
701 P St, Ste 102, Lincoln, Nebraska 68508
Saturday, November 5 from 3 to 4:30 p.m.
Indigo Bridge Books in The Creamery Building
701 P Street, Suite 102, Lincoln, NE
1 (402) 477 7770
“This is without question the single best study of Alexander Payne’s films, as well as the filmmaker himself and his filmmaking process. In charting the first two decades of Payne’s remarkable career, Leo Adam Biga pieces together an indelible portrait of an independent American artist, and one that’s conveyed largely in the filmmaker’s own words. This is an invaluable contribution to film history and criticism – and a sheer pleasure to read as well.” – Thomas Schatz, Film scholar and author (“The Genius of the System”)
Join me in conversation about the filmmaker and his body of work, what we can expect from his new feature “Downsizing” and the making of my book based on 20 years covering Payne. The book makes a great resource for film buffs, critics, filmmakers, educators and students as well as more casual film fans who want a handy Payne primer and trivia goldmine.
This is the new edition from River Junction Press about the Oscar-winning filmmaker from Omaha. It features new content current to his “Nebraska” and “Downsizing” projects and the addition of a discussion guide and index. A perfect gift for yourself or the cinema lover in your life. Sells for $25.95. Copies will be available for purchase and signing.
Looking forward to signing your copy.
Also available at Barnes & Noble, Our Bookstore, via Amazon and for Kindle.
Let us know you’re coming by visiting the event’s Facebook page– https://www.facebook.com/events/2140541916172028/
Read more about the book and “Downsizing” at these links–
Father Ken Vavrina Signing ‘Crossing Bridges’ on Saturday, May 21 at The Bookworm
Father Ken Vavrina Signing ‘Crossing Bridges’ on Saturday, May 21 at The Bookworm
Father Ken Vavrina will sign copies of the book I did with him, Crossing Bridges: A Priest’s Uplifing Life Among the Downtrodden, on Saturday, May 21 from 1 to 4 pm at The Bookworm, 2501 South 90th Street. Father Ken will be among several authors signing their work at this Concierge Marketing Open House event.
“The very first bridge I crossed was choosing to study for the priesthood, a decision that took me and everyone who knew me by surprise. Then came a series of bridges that once crossed brought me into contact with diverse peoples and their incredibly different yet similar needs.”
Father Vavrina has served as a priest for many years, and has served several missions trips to help the needy. Father Ken worked with lepers in Yemen, and was ultimately arrested and thrown in jail under false suspicions of spying. After being forcibly removed from Yemen, he began his tenure with Catholic Relief Services. First in the extreme poverty and over-population of Calcutta in India. Then with warlords in Liberia to deliver food and supplies to refugees in need. Father Ken also spent several years working with Mother Teresa to heal the sick and comfort the dying.
Crossing Bridges: A Priest’s Uplifting Life Among the Downtrodden is the story of Father Ken Vavrina’s life and travels – simple acts that moved him, people that inspired him, and places that astonished him. Father Ken has spent his life selflessly serving the Lord and the neediest around him, while always striving to remain a simple, humble man of God.
“I pray this account of my life is not a personal spectacle but a recounting of a most wonderful journey serving God. May its discoveries and experiences inspire your own life story of service.”
About the Author
Father Ken Vavrina:
Father Kenneth Vavrina is a Roman Catholic priest, currently living and serving in Omaha, Nebraska. Vavrina was born in Bruno and raised in Clarkson, Nebraska. He was ordained in 1962. In the United States, he ministered to Native Americans, African-Americans, and Hispanics during the height of the civil rights movement.
Through his work with Catholic Relief Services and Mother Teresa, he has served people in five countries on four continents. He served nineteen years of missionary work overseas. He comforted lepers in the Arab nation of Yemen, oversaw relief efforts for victims of an earthquake in southern Italy, and supervised aid to and regenerated the agricultural sector for the poorest of the poor in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. He also secured food and medicine for war refugees in the African nation of Liberia.
At 80 years of age, he officiates mass daily for the residents of his retirement center.
Book written with assistance from Leo Adam Biga:
Leo Adam Biga is an Omaha author and journalist. His previous books include Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film and Memories of the Jewish Midwest: Mom and Pop Grocery Stores. His award-winning cultural journalism appears in many publications. Assignments take him across America and overseas. He has traveled to California to cover Oscar-winning filmmaker Alexander Payne. He covered the 2009 Barack Obama presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C. He made a baseball tour of the Midwest. He recently went to Uganda and Rwanda, Africa as the Andy Award winner for international journalism from his alma mater, the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
He has a new nonfiction history book in the works. His Nebraska Film Heritage Project is in development.
AMAZON CUSTOMER RATINGS
Five Stars, May 19, 2016I come from the same town as Father Ken and …, February 4, 2016 great book, September 1, 2015
New edition of ‘Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film’ releases September 1 from River Junction Press
It is my pleasure to introduce you to my work as an Omaha-based author-journalist-blogger. If you are already familiar with my writing, then please allow me to re-introduce myself in advance of a major new release that I am thrilled to announce.
I have authored several self-published books but perhaps my best known ones to date are Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film and Crossing Bridges: A Priest’s Uplifting Life Among the Downtrodden. I am using this post to announce that a new edition of Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film releases September 1 from River Junction Press in Omaha. The book, originally published in 2012 through Concierge Marketing Publishing Services and My Inside Stories LLC, features the addition of significant new content related to Payne’s Nebraska and Downsizing films, as well as new photos, a Discussion Guide and Index and many updates. It is a must read for any fan of this filmmaker’s work, for film buffs, for film studies instructors and teachers and for filmmakers. Its author has been called the world’s leading expert on Payne. Indeed, I have covered him and his work for 20 years and the book is a compendium of many exclusive interviews and behind the scenes observations.
Soon taking advanced orders.
You can sample my work on my blog– https://leoadambiga.com/
Facebook page– https://www.facebook.com/LeoAdamBiga/#
Amazon author’s page– http://www.amazon.com/Leo-Adam-Biga/e/B00E6HE46E
GoodReads page– https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5398063.Leo_Adam_Biga
And across a full spectrum of other social media platforms, including LinkedIn, Twitter, Google, Tumbler and About.Me.
River Junction Press LLC
Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film
Second Edition Leo Adam Biga Film/Biography Trade Paper $24.95
(320 pages 6 x 9 28 B/W photos ISBN: 978099726670228 September, 2016
IPG distributor: http://www.ipgbook.com
Journalist Leo Adam Biga chronicles twenty years of Alexander Payne’s filmmaking in a group of essays and published articles.
Praise for Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film
The Filmmaker —
“I have long admired Leo Biga’s journalism and prose portraiture for its honesty, thoughtful- ness, and accuracy. On a personal note, throughout many years of being interviewed, I find Mr. Biga’s articles about me to be the most complete and perceptive of any journalist’s anywhere. They ring true to me — even in critique — in a way that reveals the depth of his talent in obser- vation, understanding, and expression.” Alexander Payne
The Film Critic —
“Alexander Payne is one of America’s cinema’s leading lights. How fortunate we are that Leo Biga has chronicled his rise to success so thoroughly.” Leonard Maltin
The Film Student —
“You don’t know me but I am a young filmaker in NYC . . . Your articles and interviews became a critical (and previously absent) entry point to discover and dig deeper into learning more about directors, films, and film history. I came to not only respect and admire Payne as a filmmaker, but also as one of the best teachers I’ve ever had. And I can say that to date, starting with your book, what I’ve learned about the craft and history of cinema has been unparalleled and invaluable.” Brian Reisberg
Making American Movies about Americans
Downsizing (2017) starring Matt Damon, Kristen Wiig, Neil Patrick Harris, Alec Baldwin, Jason Sudeikis, Christoph Waltz
Nebraska (2013) starring Bruce Dern, Will Forte, June Squibb, Stacey Keach, Bob Odenkirk The Descendants (2011) starring George Clooney, Robert Forster, Beau Bridges, Shailene
Woodley (Oscar and Golden Globes winner) Sideways (2004) starring Paul Giamatti, Thomas Hayden Church, Sandra Oh, Virginia
Madsen (Oscar and Golden Globes winner) About Schmidt (2002) starring Jack Nicholson, Kathy Bates, Hope Davis, Dermot Mulroney Election (1999) starring Matthew Broderick, Reese Witherspoon, Chris Klein Citizen Ruth (1996) starring Laura Dern, Swoozie Kurtz, Mary Kay Place, Kelly Preston
Leo Adam Biga is available for interviews and speaking engagements. http://www.leoadambiga.com http://www.facebook.com/LeoAdamBiga leo32158@cox.net
Kira Gale, publisher
402-451-2878 phone 402 680-3884 cell
3314 North 49th St http://www.riverjunctionpress.com May 9, 2016 Omaha NE 68104 kiragale RJP@aol.com
Father Ken Vavrina Book Signing – Sunday, Jan. 3
at 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Refreshments will be served. All are welcome. We hope to see you there.
Come to my next ‘Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film’ book talk and signing at KANEKO-
You are cordially invited to my next ‘Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film’ book talk and signing-
Wednesday Words Reading Series Featuring Leo Adam Biga
-
12:00pm until 1:00pm
-
KANEKO-UNO Library, 12th and Jones St. -
I will talk about my book “Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film,” describe my years writing about the filmmaker, and assess his new film “Nebraska.” A Q&A and signing follow. The book is only $20 and it makes a great Christmas gift.
Hope to see you there.HERE’S HOW THEY’RE PROMOTING MY APPEARANCE-
Our Featured Writer: Leo Adam BigaAward-winning Omaha journalist Leo Adam Biga has adapted his extensive body of work about acclaimed filmmaker Alexander Payne into a new book. “Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film” is a compilation of Biga’s many articles about the writer-director over a 16-year period. The book places readers deep inside Payne’s creative process and follows the progress of the cinema artist’s Oscar-winning career. Biga will share insights gleaned from visits to Payne’s sets and from a recent glimpse at the final edit-mix process on the filmmaker’s new feature, “Nebraska.” Biga’s one of the few outside the filmmaker’s inner circle and select festival audiences to have seen the film in its entirety before the Nov. 15 national release. The book is a must read for Payne fans and film buffs. Book signing to follow presentation. Sample the author’s work at leoadambiga.wordpress.com.ABOUT WEDNESDAY WORDS
Wednesday Words originated in 2009 as a special reading series featuring award-winning writers from the Nebraska Arts Council’s Individual Artist Fellowship in Literature program, sponsored by the Nebraska Arts Council and Nebraska independent publisher, The Backwaters Press.Spend your lunch hour at our final reading of 2013 with Leo Adam Biga. Treat yourself to a feast for your ears as you listen to some of the finest in Nebraska writing.
FREE and open to the public.
Related articles
- ‘Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film’ author Leo Adam Biga doing book events Nov. 19, Nov. 23, Nov. 26, Dec. 3 and Dec. 11 (leoadambiga.wordpress.com)
- Casting director John Jackson helps build Alexander Payne’s film worlds (leoadambiga.wordpress.com)
- Alexander Payne’s New Film ‘Nebraska’ Features Senior Cast and Aging Themes in Story Sure to Resonate with Many Viewers (leoadambiga.wordpress.com)
- Local Color: Alexander Payne and Co. Mine the Prairie Poetry of His Home State in the New American Gothic Film, ‘Nebraska’ (leoadambiga.wordpress.com)
Come to an Event Promoting My Alexander Payne Book
Come to an Event Promoting My Alexander Payne Book
For those of you in Omaha, I have some early fall events planned to help promote my new book about Alexander Payne.
The book is titled, Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film – A Reporter’s Perspective 1998-2012. It’s published by Concierge Marketing of Omaha and my own Inside Stories.
I hope to see you at one of these:
Oct. 3
7-9 pm
House of Loom, 1012 So. 10th St.
– – –
Oct. 7
1:30-4:30 pm
The Bookworm, 8702 Pacific St. (Countryside Village)
– – –
Oct. 9
7-9 pm
The Brandeis, 16th Street Concierge entrance, (Community Room, 2nd floor, host Christine Lind is providing yummy treats)
At each I’ll talk a bit about the project and my many years covering Payne, take some questions, and sign books. F0r more details, message me here or at leo32158@cox.net.
You can now pre-order the book by clicking the cover image above or on the right.
Related articles
- Alexander Payne’s NEBRASKA Moving Forward with Will Forte and Bruce Dern (collider.com)
- Will Forte and Bruce Dern Confirmed for Alexander Payne’s ‘Nebraska’ (slashfilm.com)
- Bob Odenkirk and Stacy Keach Join Alexander Payne’s NEBRASKA (collider.com)
- Alexander Payne to film in Nebraska (nebraskapress.typepad.com)
- Remembering the Virginia Cafe and the Restauranter Family Legacy of Filmmaker Alexander Payne (leoadambiga.wordpress.com)
- Film Streams at Five: Art Cinema Contributes to a Transformed Omaha Through Community Focus on Film and Discussion (leoadambiga.wordpress.com)
- Jane Fonda Comes Home (leoadambiga.wordpress.com)
- When Omaha Independent Filmmaking Took a New Turn or Did It? (leoadambiga.wordpress.com)
Mini-Profile
Leo Adam Biga's My Inside Stories 