Geoff Schumacher

Here’s the official press release:

For immediate release:

Stephens Press Selected to Publish Book

for Nevada’s Sesquicentennial

State’s Top Writers and Photographers Will Contribute

to Nevada: 150 Years in the Silver State

LAS VEGAS, January 9, 2013: The Nevada 150 Sesquicentennial Planning Committee has chosen Stephens Press to produce a book commemorating the state’s sesquicentennial — 150 years of statehood — in 2014.

Nevada: 150 Years in the Silver State will be a compelling historical, cultural and visual portrait of Nevada. Tapping the state’s finest writers and photographers, this ambitious book will feature each of Nevada’s 17 counties, as well as its diverse cultural treasures. Natural landmarks such as Lake Tahoe and Red Rock Canyon will be highlighted, as well as the neon metropolises of Las Vegas and Reno. The book also will delve into the economic engines that built the Silver State, from mining and gambling to ranching and entertainment.

“While history will be a vital component, it will be just one element of this book’s rich texture,” vowed Geoff Schumacher, a longtime Nevada journalist who will serve as the book’s editor. “From desolate dry lakes to bustling urban streetscapes, all aspects of Nevada will be explored, with the goal of accurately and perceptively depicting a state that’s too often misunderstood.”

Carolyn Hayes Uber, publisher of Stephens Press, said she is honored that Stephens Press was selected for this prestigious project.

“With this book, we intend to make an important and enduring contribution to Nevada,” Uber said. “We hope this book will be cherished by future generations as a seminal portrait — in words and pictures — of our state.”

Schumacher is assembling a team of editors, writers and photographers who will scour all corners of the state to capture the depth and breadth of its diversity.

“The past, present and future of Nevada will be represented in this book,” he said. “The past 150 years in this state are loaded with amazing stories that we plan to tell. But what’s happening now and what could happen in the future also are topics we will explore.”

Uber said she expects the book to be released in the late fall of 2013.

About Stephens Press

Headquartered in Las Vegas, Stephens Press publishes both fiction and nonfiction titles and markets books online, through newspapers, bookstores and specialty retailers. Topics include history, current events, travel, entertainment, nature, sports, lifestyle and more. Stephens Press is the book division of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

About Geoff Schumacher

Author, editor and newspaper executive, Geoff Schumacher grew up in Southern Nevada, earned his journalism degree from the University of Nevada, Reno, and  worked for Las Vegas newspapers for 23 years. He is the author of Sun, Sin & Suburbia: The History of Modern Las Vegas and Howard Hughes: Power, Paranoia & Palace Intrigue, both published by Stephens Press.