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Author Kelcey Ervick Visiting UNO

Kelcey Ervick, Author of “The Keeper: Soccer, Me, and the Law that Changed Women’s Lives” will be visiting Omaha and the UNO campus March 19 – March 21 for a series of events.

  • published: 2024/02/15
on the left side of the photo it is the cover of a graphic novel called The Keeper with soccer players and on the right side is a photo of the author, smiling at the camera

Kelcey Ervick, author of “The Keeper: Soccer, Me, and the Law that Changed Women’s Lives” will be visiting Omaha and the UNO campus March 19 – March 21 for a series of events including readings, author talks, and a workshop on graphic narrative and creating DIY zines to tell your story. View the full schedule of events below. This visit made possible by generous support from Humanities Nebraska, the UNO Department of English, UNO Criss Library, UNO Writer’s Workshop and the UNO Department of Women’s and Gender Studies.

About the Author

Kelcey Ervick is the author and illustrator of the graphic memoir, The Keeper: Soccer, Me, and the Law That Changed Women's Lives, winner of a 2023 Ohioana Book Award. Her three previous award-winning books of fiction and nonfiction are The Bitter Life of Božena Němcová, Liliane's Balcony, and For Sale By Owner. She is co-editor, with Tom Hart, of The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Graphic Literature.

Kelcey's stories, essays, and comics have appeared in The Rumpus, The Believer, Washington Post, Lit Hub, and elsewhere. She has received grants from the Indiana Arts Commission, the Sustainable Arts Foundation, and New Frontiers in Arts and Humanities at Indiana University. She has a Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati and is a professor of English and creative writing at Indiana University South Bend.

Praise for The Keeper: Soccer, Me, and the Law that Changed Women’s Lives

From Alison Bechdel, author of the New York Times bestselling Fun Home and The Secret to Superhuman Strength: “The Keeper is a triumph! Kelcey Ervick’s rollicking visual storytelling makes this information-packed lesson in women’s sports history both hilarious and surprisingly moving. Do not be deceived by her loose, exuberant drawings—the level of writerly control at play in this beautiful book is prodigious.”

From the New York Times Book Review:

"Readers will certainly want to linger on the beautiful depictions of birds, people and scenes from her life. She weaves in historical context in graceful and necessary ways."

From Publisher's Weekly:

"A work of disarming emotional power."

About The Keeper: Soccer, Me, and the Law that Changed Women's Lives

Growing up playing on a top national soccer team in the 1980s, Kelcey Ervick and her teammates didn’t understand the change they represented. Title IX was enacted in 1972 with little fanfare, but to seismic effect; between then and now, girls’ participation in organized sports has exploded more than 1,000 percent. Braiding together personal narrative, pop culture, literature, and history, Ervick tells the story of how her adolescence was shaped by this boom. Ervick also explores her role as a goalkeeper—a position marked by outsider status and observation—and reveals it has drawn some of the most famed writers of our time. With wit and poignant storytelling, The Keeper brings to life forgotten figures who understood the importance of athletics to help women step into their confidence and power—and push for equality. Full of 1980s nostalgia and heart, The Keeper is a celebration of how far we have come and a reminder of how far we have to go.

Schedule of Events

Tuesday, March 19, 6PM: Book reading and signing at the Bookworm

Wednesday, March 20, 3:30PM: Author Talk:“From the Soccer Field to the University Classroom: Celebrating Title IX in Women's History Month"

Wednesday, March 20, 7:30PM: Writers Workshop Reading Series Presents Kelcey Ervick

Thursday, March 21, 6PM: Workshop focusing on graphic narratives and DIY zines: "Image + Text: Transform Your Writing with Drawings, Diagrams, Comics, & Collage"

About Humanities Nebraska

Funding for this visit is one of many grants funded by Humanities Nebraska (HN). HN awards more than $257,000 in grants each year.

Created in 1973 as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Humanities Nebraska (HN) is an independent, non-profit organization governed by a volunteer board of public and academic members. Humanities Nebraska funds programs that explore Nebraska's heritage, build community awareness, and strengthen our ties to cultural traditions at home and abroad.

The Nebraska Cultural Endowment is a public/private partnership that designates funds to HN for distribution. Any non-profit group is eligible to apply for a grant from HN. The HN staff is available for grant consultation and will read proposal drafts. Contact the HN office if you need assistance with a project idea.

For a copy of Humanities Nebraska grant guidelines, contact HN at 215 Centennial Mall South, Suite 330, Lincoln, NE 68508, phone 402-474-2131, fax 402- 474-4852, or e-mail at info@humanitiesnebraska.org. The entire grant guideline packet is online at: https://humanitiesnebraska.org/.

About the University of Nebraska at Omaha Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Library

UNO Criss Library fulfills the UNO mission through dynamic services, highly qualified and adaptive personnel, unique and extensive collections, and accessible learning spaces and environments. Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Library provides UNO students, faculty and staff, and the Omaha community with the resources and materials needed to excel academically and professionally.