By Colby Coash
Running Naked
Surviving the Legacy of Family in Rural Nebraska
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About the Book
From dusty roads and dead ends, a Nebraska native son finds his way.
A former Nebraska state senator hails from the heart of rural Nebraska—tiny Bassett, Nebraska, population 1,010—where his father and grandfather owned and operated the fertilizer plant, the backbone of the rural community.
Born into the tapestry of small-town existence, Coash’s narrative unfolds against the backdrop of tight-knit neighbors and the enduring spirit of the American small town.
In this inspiring coming-of-age memoir. Coash chronicles the challenges of the rural economy on his father and his fertilizer business, captures the heart of the heartland in growing up in a place where everybody knows you, painfully tells how his mother abandoned the family for California dreams, and reveals why he, too, couldn’t get out of town fast enough. Becoming a fertilizer man like his father was not in his future.
His journey takes him running shockingly naked across the theater stage in college to the hallowed halls of the Nebraska State Capitol as a senator, with a passion for something beyond the confines of his hometown as he pursued a greater purpose—and one that makes his father proud.
Honest, unfiltered, with dreams as ephemeral as the tumbleweeds that surrounded him, Coash runs from his small-town roots into a life of purpose fulfilled by one of life’s great joys: his own role as a father.
About the Author
Colby Coash grew up in Bassett, Nebraska, a small town with barely more than 1,000 in population. Bassett was where his path was set by the generations that came before him. He took advantage of all the opportunities afforded him, but was compelled to forge his own path. He pursued everything with rigor and the sort of Midwestern work ethic nurtured in many small towns just like Bassett.
Colby continues to travel the world as an ambassador for Nebraska and nonpartisanship.
He gained plenty of national attention for his work in abolishing the death penalty in a red state (Nebraska). His efforts as a state senator led to features in Playboy, Harper’s Bazaar, Washington Post, New York Times, Time magazine, and on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. He even spoke to a crowd in front of the Colosseum in Rome.
He lives in Lincoln, Nebraska, with his wife, Rhonda, and his own legacy, Cole. After being term-limited out of the Nebraska legislature, he now works as a lobbyist, parlaying his experience in politics to advocate for students, vulnerable people, and education.
Never one to give up on a dream, Colby continues to act in movies including It Snows All the Time and Hide and Bleed and a handful of campy horror films and commercials, pleased that his undergraduate education was not wasted and his early experience on stage, naked, turned out to be a revealing life-changing experience.
Endorsements
“A powerful and poignant coming-of-age story that will alternately leave you whooping, weeping, wincing and wondering: Did Colby Coash just dupe me into looking into the mirror of my own youth?”
“Colby Coash’s heartwarming story about his life in Bassett, Nebraska, is a tale of an authentic American success story. If childhood is a city you can never leave, Colby shares the need to embrace the legacy, honor those who came before you, and use the love, hard times, and life lessons to become a better person. Naked Running is a powerful story of family, the hardships, the love, and the deep loyalty in a place that is, what America was, built from the ground up by pioneers who worked back-breaking hours to give their families a better life. Well done, Colby, your story is the American dream at its best.”
“This book offers a unique glimpse into a true Americana story—a tale where authenticity shines through the veil of silence that often shrouds our culture, particularly within political circles. Colby’s honesty from the start is a breath of fresh air, inviting profound connection with its readers. You never know what someone else has endured on their life’s journey. I read this book aboard a crowded flight back to Los Angeles, surprisingly unable to contain my laughter at Colby’s amusing anecdotes. Within these stories, I discovered a profound insight and definition of a good and honest genuine American hero, precisely the type of person you’d hope to be serving as a statesman and public servant.”
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