FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 16, 2011 Press Contact: Tony Valenzuela (323) 376-6801, info@lambdaliterary.org
23rd Annual Lambda Literary Award Finalists Announced Los Angeles, CA - Finalists for the Lambda Literary Award were announced today by the Lambda Literary Foundation in Los Angeles. Books from major mainstream publishers and from academic presses, from both long-established and brand new LGBT publishers, and even from emerging publish-on-demand technologies, make up the 114 finalists for the "Lammys." The finalists were selected from a record number of nominations. The awards, now in their twenty-third year, celebrate achievement in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) writing for books published in 2010. Winners will be announced at a May 26 ceremony in New York at the School of Visual Arts Theater (333 West 23rd Street). Lambda set a record in 2009 for both the number of LGBT books nominated (462) and the number of publishers participating (about 200), reports Lambda Awards Administrator Richard Labonté. But that record has been surpassed this year, with more than 520 titles represented from about 230 publishers. "Some of the increase in nominations stems from the growth in recent years of self-published books, reflecting an expanding reliance on ever-more-accessible publish-on-demand technology by talented LGBT authors with worthwhile stories to tell - a do-it-yourself approach that hearkens back to the late 1970s and 1980s, when lesbians and gay men established their own presses and launched the queer book boom," Labonté said. "The books came, and the Lammys soon followed." "These record-breaking numbers are occurring at a time when the publishing industry is under siege and we hear report after report on the death of books," said LLF Board Co-Chair, Dr. Judith Markowitz. "What's even more heartening is that the quality of those nominations is extremely high. All of this bodes well for the future of LGBT literature and for the Foundation's continued role in advocating on behalf of that literature." Another sign of evolution in the state of LGBT publishing: the Transgender category joined the Bisexual category in garnering enough nominations to merit dividing it this year into Transgender Fiction and Transgender Nonfiction; the Bisexual category was split for the first time last year. More than 90 booksellers, book reviewers, librarians, authors, previous Lammy winners and finalists, and other book professionals volunteered many hours of reading time, critical thinking, and invigorating shared discussion to select the finalists in 24 categories. "Lambda Literary depends on the generous gifts of time and talent from its volunteer judges, year after year, to keep the Lammys vibrant. We couldn't do it without them," said Lambda Executive Director, Tony Valenzuela. "This day really belongs to our finalists, whose work has entered the elite company of Lammy nominated books that enrich our community's literature. Congratulations to these talented authors on their momentous achievement."
23rd Annual Lambda Literary Award Finalists
LGBT Anthologies
- Best Lesbian Romance, edited by Radclyffe, Cleis Press
- Gay Shame, edited by David Halperin, University of Chicago Press
- Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation, edited by Kate Bornstein & S. Bear Bergman, Seal Press
- Kicked Out, edited by Sassafras Lowrey, Homofactus Press
- War Diaries, edited by Tisa Bryant & Ernest Hardy, AIDS Project Los Angeles and the Global Forum on MSM & HIV
LGBT Children's/Young Adult
- Christian, the Hugging Lion, by Justin Richardson & Peter Parnell, illustrated by Amy June Bates, Simon & Schuster
- God Loves Hair, by Vivek Shraya, illustrated by Juliana Neufeld, Vivek Shraya
- Jumpstart the World, by Catherine Ryan Hyde, Random House Children's Books
- Love Drugged, by James Klise, Flux Books
- Wildthorn, by Jane Eagland, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
LGBT Drama
- The Brother/Sister Plays, by Tarell Alvin McCraney, Theatre Communications Group
- Lydia, by Octavio Solis, Samuel French, Inc
- Oedipus at Palm Springs, by Maureen Angelos, Samuel French, Inc
- Slipping, by Daniel Talbott, Dramatists Play Service
- With Bated Breath, by Bryden MacDonald, Talonbooks
LGBT Nonfiction
- Balancing on the Mechitza: Transgender in Jewish Community, by Noach Dzmura, North Atlantic Books
- Ex-Gay No Way: Survival and Recovery from Religious Abuse, by Jallen Rix, Findhorn Press
- Inseparable, by Emma Donoghue, Alfred A. Knopf
- King Kong Theory, by Virginia Despentes, The Feminist Press
- The Right To Be Out, by Stuart Biegel, University of Minnesota Press
LGBT SF/Fantasy/Horror
- Diana Comet and Other Improbable Stories, by Sandra MacDonald, Lethe Press
- Disturbed By Her Song, by Tanith Lee, Lethe Press
- Flowers of Edo: A Ghost Story, by Nene Adams, Black Car Publishing
- Wilde Stories 2010, edited by Steve Berman, Lethe Press
- Wolfsbane Winter, by Jane Fletcher, Bold Strokes Books
LGBT Studies
- Another Country: Queer Anti-Urbanism, by Scott Herring, New York University Press
- Assuming a Body: Transgender and Rhetorics of Materiality, by Gayle Salaman, Columbia University Press
- Backward Glances: Contemporary Chinese Cultures and the Female Homoerotic Imaginary, by Fran Martin, Duke University Press
- Citizen Invert Queer: Lesbianism and War in Early Twentieth-Century Britain, by Deborah Cohler, University of Minnesota Press
- Queering the Public Sphere in Mexico and Brazil: Sexual Rights Movements in Emerging Democracies, by Rafael de la Dehesa, Duke University Press
Bisexual Fiction
- Fall Asleep Forgetting, by Georgann Packard, The Permanent Press
- If You Follow Me, by Malena Watrous, Harper Perennial
- Krakow Melt, by Daniel Allen Cox, Arsenal Pulp Press
- The Lunatic, the Lover and the Poet, by Myrlin Hermes, Harper Perennial
- Pride/Prejudice, by Ann Herendeen, Harper Paperback
Bisexual Nonfiction
- Border Sexualities, Border Families in Schools, by Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli, Rowman & Littlefield
- Dear John, I Love Jane: Women Write about Leaving Men for Women, edited by Candace Walsh & Laura Andre, Seal Press
- Just Kids, by Patti Smith, Ecco Press
- Mad World: Evelyn Waugh and the Secrets of Brideshead, by Paula Byrne, HarperCollins/It Books
- Sal Mineo, by Gregg Michael Michaud, Crown Archetype
Transgender Fiction
- Holding Still For as Long as Possible, by Zoe Whittall, House of Anansi Press
- Glamazonia: The Uncanny Super-Tranny, by Justin Hall with Diego Gomez, Fred Noland & Jon Macy, Northwest Press
- Jumpstart the World, by Catherine Ryan Hyde, Random House Children's Books
Transgender Nonfiction
- Assume Nothing, by Rebecca Swan, Soft Skull Press
- Balancing on the Mechitza: Transgender in Jewish Community, by Noach Dzmura, North Atlantic Books
- The Color of Sunlight, by Michelle Alexander, CreateSpace
- Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation, edited by Kate Bornstein and S. Bear Bergman, Seal Press
- Just One of the Guys? Transgender Men and the Persistence of Inequality, by Kristin Schilt, University of Chicago Press
Lesbian Debut Fiction
- Alcestis, by Katharine Beutner, Soho Press
- Fall Asleep Forgetting, by Georgann Packard, The Permanent Press
- One More Stop, by Lois Walden, Arcadia Books
- The More I Owe You, by Michael Sledge, Counterpoint Press
- Sub Rosa, by Amber Dawn, Arsenal Pulp Press
Gay Debut Fiction
- Bob the Book, by David Pratt, Chelsea Station Editions
- The Palisades, by Tom Schabarum, Cascadia Publishing
- Passes Through, by Rob Stephenson, University of Alabama Press/FC2
- Probation, by Tom Mendicino, Kensington Books
- XOXO Hayden, by Chris Corkum, P.D. Publishing
Lesbian Erotica
- Best Lesbian Erotica 2011, edited by Katherine Warnock & selected by Lea DeLaria, Cleis Press
- Sometimes She Lets Me: Best Femme/Butch Erotica, edited by Tristan Taormino, Cleis Press
- This is How We Do It: A Raw Mix of Lesbian Erotica, edited by D. Alexandria, RedThorn Art
Gay Erotica
- Best of the Best Gay Erotica 3, edited by Richard Labonte, Cleis Press
- Gay Erotic Tales from Under the Big Top, edited by Jerry Wheeler, Lethe Press
- Teleny and Camille, by Jon Macy, Northwest Press
- A Twist of Grimm: Erotic Fairy Tales for Gay Men, by William Holden, Lethe Press
- Vancouver Nights, by Hank Edwards, Lethe Press
Lesbian Fiction
- Big Bang Symphony, by Lucy Jane Bledsoe, University of Wisconsin Press
- Fifth Born II: The Hundredth Turtle, by Zelda Lockhart, LaVenson Press
- Holding Still For as Long as Possible, by Zoe Whittall, House of Anansi Press
- Homeschooling, by Carol Guess, PS Press
- Inferno (A Poet's Novel), by Eileen Myles, OR Books
Gay Fiction
- By Nightfall, by Michael Cunningham, Farrar, Straus & Giroux
- Children of the Sun, by Max Schaefer, Soft Skull Press
- Consolation, by Jonathan Strong, Pressed Wafer
- The Silver Hearted, by David McConnell, Alyson Books
- Union Atlantic, by Adam Haslett, Doubleday
Lesbian Memoir
- Blood Strangers, by Katherine A. Bricetti, Heyday
- Hammer! Making Movies Out of Sex and Life, by Barbara Hammer, The Feminist Press
- Like Me: Confessions of a Heartland Country Singer, by Chely Wright, Pantheon Books
- She Looks Just Like You: A Memoir of (Nonbiological) Motherhood, by Arnie Klempnauer Miller, Beacon Press
- Wishbone: A Memoir in Fractures, by Julie Marie Wade, Colgate University Press
Gay Memoir
- Beyond Normal: The Birth of Gay Pride, by Gale Chester Whittington, BookLocker.com
- Grant Wood: A Life, by R. Tripp Evans, Alfred A. Knopf
- Secret Historian: The Life and Times of Samuel Steward, Professor, Tattoo Artist and Sexual Renegade, by Justin Spring, Farrar, Straus & Giroux
- The Secret Lives of Somerset Maugham, by Selina Hastings, Random House
- She Ain't Heavy, She's My Mother, by Bryan Batt, Harmony Books
Lesbian Mystery
- The Cruel Ever After, by Ellen Hart, Minotaur Books/St. Martin's Press
- Fever of the Bone, by Val McDermid, HarperCollins
- Missing Lynx, by Kim Baldwin & Xenia Alexiou, Bold Strokes Books
- Parallel Lies, by Stella Duffy, Bywater Books
- Watermark, by J.M. Redmann, Bold Strokes Books
Gay Mystery
- Cockeyed, by Richard Stevenson, MLR Press
- Echoes, by David Lennon, Blue Spike Publishing
- Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers, by I.E. Woodward, iUniverse
- Smoke, by Garry Ryan, NeWest Press
- Vieux Carre Voodoo, by Greg Herren, Bold Strokes Books
Lesbian Poetry
- The Inquisition Yours, by Jen Currin, Coach House Books
- Money for Sunsets, by Elizabeth J. Colen, Steel Toe Books
- The Nights Also, by Anna Swanson, Tightrope Books
- The Sensual World Re-Emerges, by Eleanor Lerman, Sarabande Books
- White Shirt, by Laurie MacFayden, Frontenac House
Gay Poetry
- darkacre, by Greg Hewett, Coffee House Press
- Other Flowers: Uncollected Poems, by James Schuyler, Farrar, Straus & Giroux
- Pleasure, by Brian Teare, Ahsahta Press
- The Salt Ecstasies: Poems, by James L. White, The Graywolf Poetry Re/View Series
- "then, we were still living", by Michael Klein, GenPop Books
Lesbian Romance
- Above Temptation, by Karin Kallmaker, Bella Books
- Awakening to Sunlight, by Lindsey Stone, Bold Strokes Books
- Beacon of Love, by Ann Roberts, Bella Books
- River Walker, by Cate Culpepper, Bold Strokes Books
- Starting From Scratch, by Georgia Beers, Brisk Press
Gay Romance
- Normal Miguel, by Erik Orrantia, Cheyenne Press
- Three Wrong Turns in the Desert, by Neil Plakcy, Loose ID
- The Road Home, by Michael Thomas Ford, Kensington Books
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Tickets for the Lambda Literary Awards ceremony and After-Party go on sale today. The ceremony will be held Thursday, May 26, 2011 at the School of Visual Arts Theater in New York City (333 W. 23rd St), followed by a private after-party nearby. For information: www.lambdaliterary.org/awards. For the complete list of Finalists on our website: www.lambdaliterary.org/awards/2011-finalists
23rd Annual Lambda Literary Awards Honorary Host Committee Ann Bannon Don Bachardy Bill Clegg Kate Clinton Mart Crowley Michael Cunningham Stacey D'Erasmo Jim McGreevey David Mixner Ann Patchett Stefanie Powers Andrew Tobias Edmund White New York City Host Committee David McConnell - Co-Chair Don Weise - Co-Chair S. Chris Shirley - Co-Chair Jamie Chelsea Brickhouse J. Brooks Benoit Denizet-Lewis Jessica Falvo David Gale Charles Rice-Gonzalez Nicholas Nicholson Heather Aimee O'Neill Julia Pastore Lori Perkins Patrick Ryan Rakesh Satyal Liz Scheier Bob Smith Jerl Surratt Linda Villarosa Paul Whitlatch About the Lambda Literary Foundation: The Foundation nurtures, celebrates, and preserves LGBT literature through programs that honor excellence, promote visibility and encourage development of emerging writers. LLF's programs include the Lambda Literary Awards, the Writers' Retreat for Emerging LGBT Voices, and our web magazine at www.lambdaliterary.org. For information: Tony Valenzuela Lambda Literary Foundation Executive Director phone (213) 568-3570 cell (323) 376-6801 info@lambdaliterary.org www.lambdaliterary.org Richard Labonté Lambda Literary Awards Administrator richardlabonte@lambdaliterary.org
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