Book Expo Bootie or
I Went To The BEA and Got More Than A Lousy T-Shirt
The annual Booksellers Expo America, held at McCormick Place in Chicago June 2-4, was not all fun and games. Just ask the publishers and other vendors who worked long days trying to promote their products in a transitional market. Among the vendors were the people at the Vancouver, B.C.-based "Last Line" bookmark company. Their product is a bookmark that not only holds your page, but shows the line on the page where the reader left off before closing the book.
Booksellers or members of the press, or even librarians, could do quite well in the souvenir department at the BEA. There were erasers: a pink pearl from New Directions or a dinosaur from Academic Press ( with a pencil attached ) . Writing implements were also in abundance. Kensington Publishing and Checkmark Books ( an imprint of Facts On File ) gave out gel pens, while Publisher's Group West, University Press of Kentucky, Wayne State University Press and Peterson's gave out less whimsical ( but no less useful ) writing utensils.
Buttons were popular. Some of the most eye-catching ones included Greenery Press's "I Love Someone Kinky," Marlowe & Co.'s "I've Got Tofu Mania," University of Iowa's "Poetry—it's good for the corn," Workman's "Even God is Single ( so stop giving me a hard time ) ," "Love, Sex & Tractors" from Motorbooks, "If men could talk ..." from Little, Brown and the always popular "I Read Banned Books." If you would rather decorate your refrigerator, magnets from The University of Wisconsin Press ( Stars In My Eyes by Don Bachardy ) , The University of North Carolina Press ( Not Afraid of Flavor by Ben & Karen Barker ) , Bent Light Media ( "Quit Whining and READ!" ) , Microsoft Reader, Duke University Press ( a magnetic poetry kit for My Dangerous Desires: a queer girl dreaming her way home by Amber L. Hollibaugh ) , and Phoenix Color Corp.'s magnetic letter opener had the right amount of pull.
TV Books had a key chain in the shape of a motorcycle and the badge holders that went around attendees necks ( from Rodale Books, Chronicle Books, the United States Post Office, The New York Review of Books, and Ingram ) also functions as key keepers when the convention is over. If you were feeling stressed out from all the crowds, you could squeeze a small, soft rubber football ( from Johns Hopkins University Press for John Sayle Watterson's College Football: History, Spectacle, Controversy ) or a round blue ball promoting the book The Disney Way, to let off some steam. If that didn't work, consider Running Press's small voodoo doll ( with complimentary pin ) for wearing around your neck. For me, World Almanac Books' red yo-yo did the trick.
T-shirts are always a treat, and the best included Margaret Mead Made Me Gay ( for Esther Newton's book from Duke University Press ) , the vivid Oz Before The Rainbow ( from Johns Hopkins University Press ) , American Rhapsody ( from Knopf's book by Joe Eszterhas, complete with a quote from the author on the back ) , and Thunder's Mouth Press's The Outlaw Bible Of American Poetry, to name a few. In order to schlep all of your goodies ( which also might include a yardstick from Purdue University, a mouse pad for the American Heritage Dictionary, dental floss from Henry Holt and a compact mirror from Soho Books ) , you will need a stylish and sturdy book sack. Among the most coveted book bags were Three Rivers Press's classic red-and-white tote, Outside Books' heavy-duty bag, Net Library's briefcase, and the "Book Expo Chicago 2000" shoulder bag from Disney Publishing Worldwide.
Of course, the real reasons for being at the BEA are the books and the opportunity to meet the writers and have them sign the books. Roger Ebert and Dr. Ruth Westheimer were both at the BEA signing books. Other signing authors included Mark Nepo ( The Book of Awakening, Conari Press ) , Douglas Martin ( Outline Of My Lover, Soft Skull Press ) , Pamela Gemin & Paula Sergi ( Boomer Girls, Iowa ) , Debra J. Dickerson ( An American Story, Pantheon ) , Stephen Mitchell ( Bhagavad Gita: A New Translation, Harmony Books ) , Lawrence Schimel ( Kosher Meat, Sherman Asher ) , John McNally ( Troublemakers, Iowa ) , Rosellen Brown ( Half A Heart, Farrar Straus Giroux ) , Alan Kaufman ( Jew Boy, Fromm ) , Pearl Cleage ( What Crazy Looks Like On An Ordinary Day, Avon ) , Julia Alvarez ( In The Name Of Salome, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill ) , Nomi Eve ( The Family Orchard, Knopf ) , Michael Shapiro ( Internet Travel Planner, Globe Pequot ) and photographer Victor Skrebneski with Gary Sinise, one of his subjects, in the book Steppenwolf at 25 ( from Sourcebooks ) .
Forthcoming titles of gay and lesbian interest included Pedro and Me, a graphic work of young adult non-fiction by illustrator ( and former Real World cast member ) Judd Winick about Pedro Zamora ( Henry Holt ) ; A Density of Souls ( Talk Miramax/Hyperion ) , a novel by Christopher Rice ( son of Anne ) ; The World of Normal Boys ( Kensington ) , a novel by K. M. Soehnlein; Lammy-nominated writer Bonnie J. Morris's memoir Girl Reel ( Coffee House Press ) ; Augusten Burroughs's novel Sellevision ( St. Martin's Griffin ) ; Obsessed By Dress ( Beacon ) , a collection of quotes about clothing and fashion edited by Tobi Tobias; Douglas A. Martin's Outline Of My Lover ( Soft Skull Press ) and Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin ( Nan A. Talese ) .
Queer parents ( or aunts and uncles ) might want to consider the beautifully photographed, Benjamin Franklin Award-winning children's book Stranger In The Woods by Carl R. Sams II & Jean Stoick or the more advanced The Seventh Tower: Book One—The Fall ( Scholastic Books/Lucas Books ) by Garth Nix.
Speaking of gay and lesbian ( and bisexual and transgendered ) interest, the 12th Annual Lammy Awards were also held in Chicago June 1 at the Palmer House Hilton. An especially risqué Kate Clinton hosted the surprise-filled event. Among the surprises was Michael Thomas Ford's second win in a row in the humor category. His sincere acceptance speech was, sadly, indicative of the often humorless tone of his writing.
High points of the evening included C.C. Carter's call-and-response performance of her poem about being a "God thing," the Lambda Literary Foundation's Shelley Bindon accepting Sarah Waters's Lesbian Fiction Lammy in her best British accent, and a "thrilled and nervous" Henry Flesh accepting his Small Press Lammy, just to name a few.
12th Annual Lambda Literary Awards
Awards in 20 literary categories, along with several special awards, were presented in front of a crowd of 350 at the Lammy Awards:
Lesbian Fiction: Tipping the Velvet, Sarah Waters, Riverhead
Gay Men's Fiction: Allan Stein, Matthew Stadler, Grove Press
Lesbian & Gay Anthologies-Fiction: Vintage Book of International Lesbian Fiction, Naomi Holoch, Joan Nestle & Nancy Holden, Vintage
Lesbian & Gay Anthologies-Non-Fiction - TIE: Completely Queer, Steve Hogan & Lee Hudson, Henry Holt; This is What Lesbian Looks Like, Kris Kleindienst, Firebrand
Lesbian & Gay Humor: That's Mr. Faggot to You, Michael Thomas Ford, Alyson
Children/Young Adult: Hard Love, Ellen Wittlinger, Simon & Schuster
Gay Men's Biography/ Autobiography: The Velveteen Father, Jesse Green, Villard
Lesbian Biography/ Autobiography: The Trials of Radclyffe Hall, Diana Souhami, Doubleday
Gay Men's Mystery: Justice at Risk, John Morgan Wilson, Doubleday
Lesbian Mystery: Hunting The Witch, Ellen Hart, St. Martin's
Lesbian & Gay Drama: What I Meant Was, Craig Lucas, TCG
Gay Men's Poetry - TIE: The Anchorage, Mark Wunderlich, U Massachusetts Press; Trappings, Richard Howard, Turtle Point Press
Lesbian Poetry: Rave, Olga Broumas, Copper Canyon Press
Gay Men's Studies: Pictures & Passions, James M. Saslow, Viking
Lesbian Studies: To Believe in Women, Lillian Faderman, Houghton Mifflin
Lesbian & Gay Photography/ Visual Arts: Pictures & Passions, James M. Saslow, Viking
Lesbian & Gay Science Fiction/ Fantasy: Minions of the Moon, Richard Bowes, Tor Books
Lesbian & Gay Spirituality/ Religion - TIE: Gay Spirit Warrior, John Stowe, Findhorn, Respecting the Soul, Keith Boykin, Avon
Transgender: Trumpet, Jackie Kay, Pantheon
Lesbian & Gay Small Press: Massage, Henry Flesh, Akashic
Special Awards
Publisher's Service Award to American Booksellers Association.
Editors' Choice Award to John-Manuel Andriote, Victory Deferred, University of Chicago Press. This book has been compared in significance to Randy Shilts' And the Band Played On, and it investigates AIDS at the end of the century.
Monette Horwitz Trust Distinguished Scholar Award to Gregory M. Herek, who is a tenured professor at the University of California-Davis, and who is researching heterosexual hatred of gays.
Monette Horwitz Trust Emerging Scholar Awards to James N. Green, Robin Podolsky, and Yolanda Retter. Green received the award for his research on Beyond Carnival: Male Homosexuality in 20th Century Brazil.
Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation Scholarship Awards to Tom Oliver Crehore, Mike Ambrose, Dee Jae Cox, and Michael Murphy.
LLF Pioneer Award to Edward Godbersen.
PlanetOut was event sponsor for the awards, joined by other sponsors including Chivas Regal, American Booksellers Association, Bookazine, giseal.com, St. Martin's Press, American Airlines and gay.com . For information about the awards program, contact the Lambda Literary Foundation, P.O. Box 73910, Washington D.C. 20056-13910, ( 202 ) 462-7924, lbreditor@aol.com .
