August 3, 2015 at 4:26 p.m.
Authors of book about Kovac Planetarium to appear at library
Authors of book about Kovac Planetarium to appear at library
The book details the history of the Kovac Planetarium right outside of Rhinelander.
"Many of us know that we have a treasure - Kovac Planetarium - right outside of Rhinelander," the library said in a press release. "But what many don't know is the incredible story behind Frank Kovac's dream of bringing the wonders of the stars to people, and how he finally accomplished that with a unique, 22-foot rotating globe planetarium in the Northwoods, with more than 5,000 hand-painted glowing stars. Two newspapermen, authors Ron Legro and Avi Lank, were so inspired by Kovac that they worked to document his 10-year effort in 'The Man Who Painted the Universe' for a new generation of stargazers and dreamers."
The book introduces readers "to the mild-mannered astronomy enthusiast whose creativity, ingenuity, fervor, and endurance realized a dream of galactic proportions." (Wisconsin Historical Society Press) Working together, it took authors Ron Legro and Avi Lank two years to write the book. "As they wrote 'The Man Who Painted the Universe,' they realized it wasn't just about what Kovac had built, but who he is and how he got there." (Journal Sentinel 06/12/15)
Ron Legro is a freelance writer for a number of publications and a former reporter, columnist, and editor for the Milwaukee Sentinel daily newspaper. He was editor in chief of Wisconsin Reports, a weekly public affairs journal covering the state legislature. Legro was also a speechwriter for numerous lawmakers and public officials and served as the city of Milwaukee's director of telecommunications. He is a native of Antigo and is a graduate of UW-Madison.
Avi Lank is an essayist for Milwaukee Public Radio and a panelist on the "Interchange" public-affairs program on Milwaukee Public Television. For almost 40 years he was an award-winning reporter, columnist, and editor at the Milwaukee Sentinel and later the Journal Sentinel. He grew up in Rochester, New York, and holds degrees from Antioch College and the Medill School of Journalism of Northwestern University.
Funding for this event is provided by Northern Arts Council. Call Rhinelander Library at (715) 365-1070 with any questions.
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