What do Willa Cather, Mari Sandoz, and John Neihardt have in common?
They were all members of the Nebraska Writers Guild, one of the oldest writers’ organizations in the country. Founded in 1925, the guild’s charter members included Bess Streeter Aldrich, Dorothy Canfield Fisher, Louise Pound and A.E. Sheldon. In its first year, two members of the guild were included in the Saturday Review of Literature’s list of the ten writers most representative of American life.
Our members have always represented a lively cross-section of Nebraska life. Guild activities have traditionally centered on one or two annual conferences, held in larger communities around the state. Novelists and historians, poets and journalists, agents and publishers, editors and columnists all have shared their insights on the art (and business) of writing at these conferences.
The purpose of the guild shall be the promotion of good fellowship among Nebraska writers; to encourage the recognition of professional writing and writers in the production of fine literature; and to foster the development of the talent of those who desire to write and who show definite possibilities of authorship.
Nebraska Writers Guild is a nonprofit (501c3) organization dedicated to empowerment and individual growth through involvement with a community of writers and related professionals; promoting authors and the craft of writing through events and publications; and, advancement through professional development.
Nebraska Writers Guild will:
Nebraska Writers Guild holds a set of values that provide the foundation for its leadership in honoring its original purpose & achieving its current mission & future vision.
The Nebraska Writers Guild Founders – 1925
Dorothy Canfield Fisher
Louise Pound
Mari Sandoz
Brandy Prettyman
President
Term through 2027
Chris Poore
Vice President
Term through 2028
Chris Poore has been telling stories in one form or another his entire life—it just took a global pandemic to finally get him to write them down. What began as a dinner conversation during lockdown sparked a creative fire that led to several award-winning screenplays and, eventually, his debut novel.
Bicentennial Summer (2024), launched The Cottonwood Chronicles, a coming-of-age trilogy set in small-town America during the late 1970s. The series follows high school friends as they navigate growing up, growing apart, and finding their place in a rapidly changing world. Burning Summer (2025), and Bye, Bye Summer (2026) complete the trilogy. Before turning to fiction, Chris built an eclectic career as a journalist, entrepreneur, and technology leader. He lives just outside Omaha, Nebraska, with his wife, Sue, their two children, and a pair of cuddly rescue dogs.Tammy Marshall
Secretary
Term through 2027
Charles A. Lieske
Treasurer
Term through 2028
Charles A. Lieske has worked in economic development and mediation, and during his tenure with Nebraska State Probation, he had the opportunity to author and design manuals, workbooks, and informational books for adult probationers, juvenile probationers, and their families. Additionally, Charles developed promotional materials for multiple agencies and most recently redesigned and facilitated the translation of a workbook for his current employer, Mediation West. Charles received a Bachelor of Arts from Nebraska Wesleyan University and completed Master’s level coursework in Public Administration.
Contact Information: Charles Lieske • PO Box 493 • Scottsbluff NE 69363-0493 • charles@charleslieske.com
Victorine E. Lieske
Panhandle District
Term through 2027
New York Times bestselling author Victorine Lieske has the ability to analyze and adapt to the constantly changing trends in today’s publishing environment. Her ability to bring the complicated world of writing and publishing alive in terms that everyone can understand and execute has made her a popular panel member and keynote speaker. In 2018 she and fellow authors in the sweet romance genre launched The Writing Gals YouTube series.
Victorine’s commercial success began with her first self-published novel. In March 2011, Not What She Seems began its 6-week run on The New York Times bestselling eBook list. By May 2011 she had sold over 100,000 copies. Victorine’s first romantic comedy novel, Accidentally Married, hit the USA Today Bestselling books list in January 2015.
She is active in many writing forums, including serving as a literary judge. Because of her service to fellow authors, she was chosen as the inaugural recipient of the CIR Strong Award, named for late Clean Indie Reads forum member Jessica Strong.
Victorine and her husband have raised their four children in Nebraska. In addition to having authored over one dozen books, Victorine also serves as a graphic designer for the publishing industry.
Contact Information: Victorine E. Lieske • PO Box 493 • Scottsbluff NE 69363-0493 • vicki.lieske@gmail.com Tasha Hackett
Sandhills District
Term through 2028
Jim Backens
Metro District
Term through 2027
Mari Beck
Capitol District
Term through 2027
Bonnie Lacy
Tri-Valley District
Term through 2028
Published/ Performed Works of NWG Members are housed at:
Jane Pope Geske Heritage Room of Nebraska Authors
Lincoln City Libraries
136 South 14th Street
Lincoln, NE 68508-1899
(402) 441-8516
Contact: Meredith McGowan, Curator, heritage@lincolnlibraries.org
Information on the Heritage Room
From one shelf of published books by Nebraska authors in 1949, the Heritage Room on the third floor of the Bennett Martin Public Library has grown to a collection of over 13,000 books, as well as files, photographs, audio and video cassettes, DVDs, compact discs, original manuscripts, periodicals, artwork and other memorabilia reflecting Nebraska’s rich literary tradition.
The mission of the Heritage Room is to preserve and promote works by and about Nebraska Authors, past and present. The preservation, maintenance, and monitoring of the collection and services are supported by the Nebraska Literary Heritage Association.
The Nebraska Writers Guild is a dues-paying member of the NLHA.
The Heritage Room defines a Nebraska Author as a writer who:
More information on current displays and activities can be seen on their website: https://lincolnlibraries.org/
About the Collection
The works in the Heritage Room do not check-out, but can be accessed on-site during the hours of operation:
Also available in the Heritage Room is the Nebraska Author Information Link (NAIL), a computerized database with over 3400 entries of biographical and bibliographical information, and information files on over 2,000 Nebraska authors.
The Lincoln City Libraries catalog can be accessed on-line at:
www.lincolnlibraries.org
Click on “Full Catalog” to search the collection.
Donate Books or Papers to the Heritage Room
Donations to the collection are limited to:
Items that will not be collected are self-published works, electronic or audio versions, textbooks or newsprint items.
Please note: Due to limited space, the final decision for inclusion in the collection will be at the discretion of the Heritage Room staff. Sometimes only representative work of a prolific writer will be considered.
Members of the NWG are asked to take the following steps to submit works for consideration:
More extensive author data may also be found in the NWG Archives at the Nebraska State Historical Society.