front cover of The Capital Times
The Capital Times
A Proudly Radical Newspaper’s Century Long Fight for Justice and for Peace
John Nichols
Wisconsin Historical Society Press, 2017

As Madison’s Capital Times marks its 100th anniversary in 2017, editors Dave Zweifel and John Nichols recall the remarkable history of a newspaper that served as the tribune of Robert M. La Follette and the progressive movement, earned the praise of Franklin Delano Roosevelt for its stalwart opposition to fascism, battled Joe McCarthy during the "Red Scare," championed civil rights, women’s rights, and LGBTQ rights, opposed the Vietnam War and the invasion of Iraq, and stood with Russ Feingold when he cast the only US Senate vote against the Patriot Act. The Capital Times did not do this from New York or Washington but from the middle of America, with a readership of farmers, factory workers, teachers, and shopkeepers who stood by The Cap Times when the newspaper was boycotted, investigated, and attacked for its determination.

At a point when journalism is under assault, when newspapers struggle to survive, and "old media" struggles to find its way in a digital age, The Capital Times remains unbowed—still living up to the description Lord Francis Williams, the British newspaper editor, wrote 50 years ago: "The vast majority of American papers are as dull as weed-covered ditch-water; vast Saharas of cheap advertising with occasional oases of editorial matter written to bring happiness to the Chamber of Commerce and pain and irritation to none; the bland leading the bland.… Just here and there are a few relics of the old fighting muckraking tradition of American journalism, like The Capital Times of Madison."

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front cover of Concise Dictionary of Minnesota Ojibwe
Concise Dictionary of Minnesota Ojibwe
John Nichols
University of Minnesota Press, 1994
Sample entries: bawa'iganaak na rice knocker (stick for wild rice harvesting); pl bawa'iganaakoog; loc bawa'iganaakong; dim bawa'iganaakoons AIRPLANE AIRPLANE: bemisemagak, -in ni-pt The most up-to-date resource for those interested in the linguistic and cultural heritage of the Anishinaabe, A Concise Dictionary of Minnesota Ojibwe contains more than 7,000 of the most frequently used Ojibwe words. Presented in Ojibwe-English and English-Ojibwe sections, this dictionary spells words to reflect their actual pronunciation with a direct match between the letters used and the speech sounds of Ojibwe. It contains many ancient words and meanings as well as language added in the twentieth century. Most entries give several sample inflected forms such as the plural, diminutive, and locative forms of nouns and first person and participle forms of verbs. The basic patterns of Ojibwe word structure and the organization of the dictionary entries are clearly explained in the introduction. The most widely used modern standard writing system for Ojibwe is used throughout, and some of the key objects of Ojibwe life are authentically illustrated by coauthor and artist Earl Nyholm. Acknowledged as one of the three largest Native American languages, Ojibwe is spoken in many local varieties in the Upper Midwest and across Central and Eastern Canada. Minnesota Ojibwe is spoken in Central and Northern Minnesota, and is very similar to the Ojibwe spoken in the Ontario-Minnesota border region, Wisconsin, and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. A Concise Dictionary of Minnesota Ojibwe is an essential reference for all students of Ojibwe culture, history, language, and literature. "This dictionary is an essential addition to the study and preservation of the Ojbwe language." Lorie Roy, American Indian Libraries Newsletter Winner of a 1995 Minnesota Book Award John D. Nichols is professor of Native studies and linguistics at the University of Manitoba. He is the editor of several volumes of Ojibwe language texts.
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