You are holding a collection of innovative works from Nebraska poets, writers, and artists. You’ll read from the new as well as the notable, from teenagers through octogenarians, and from those with traditional values alongside others who are forcing in a cultural renaissance. This idea was stirred by the state of Nebraska’s sesquicentennial in 2017, but our hope is that this anthology will go beyond a story of Nebraska as a state. It’s a voyeuristic peek into the hearts and minds of our friends, neighbors, co-workers and family members, where they invite you on their path through life.

The idea behind Misbehaving Nebraskans was to find what is real. Not everything in this book is comfortable. Not everything is PG-rated. Not everything is R-rated either. Life can be messy sometimes, and complex issues and thoughts push their way into people’s lives. How people deal with life is what we found most compelling among these stories.