The Crossroads of a Journey: All Roads Lead to Sarajevo November 1, 2009

Part of the 2009 One Book One Lincoln special programming and events.

Sarajevo. Bosnia. For most people this is not a city they think about every day. It is famous for the Winter Olympics of 1984. It is infamous for the Bosnian War that enveloped it starting in 1993. And it is home to the Sarajevo Haggadah. Geraldine Brooks gave readers a stark glimpse at a city in recovery from a devastating war of ethnic cleansing that pitted neighbor against neighbor in the 20th century; a city that is familiar with the cycles of violence and rebuilding that wars bring. She detailed the good with the bad and peopled her city with characters both courageous and despicable. Patrice McMahon of the UNL Political Science Department will have just returned from Sarajevo and be able to share her most recent experiences in that city, with insights as to the history and current social and political climate. She has travelled extensively in the Balkans and the post-communist countries of Eastern Europe and is a recognized authority on that region of the world. She has a great interest in the ethnic conflict in that region and the roles and reactions of U.S. and the international community, at present and going forward. Mr. Don Bryant, retired Associate Director of Athletics for the University of Nebraska, was a member of the U.S. Winter Olympic Teams in 1980, 1984 and 1988, serving as media liaison at Lake Placid, Sarajevo and Calgary respectively. He will be sharing his remembrances of Sarajevo during the 1984 Olympics and will share memorabilia and pictures that reflect the city during a time of peace and international honor.

Official Website: http://www.lincolnlibraries.org/depts/bookguide/obol/obol2009/programs.htm