With the exception of 1999, when both the Lambda Literary Awards and the Book Expo America ( formerly the American Booksellers' Association ) were held in Los Angeles, Chicago has been home to both events since the mid-1990s. Having both the LLA and the BEA in the old hometown has been both a learning experience and a lot of fun. The fact that they also occur near ( or sometimes on ) my birthday, makes it even more special.
Speaking of special, the warm, wonderful and wicked funny Lammy-winning author Bob Smith was one of the co-hosts of this year's Lammy Awards, the 13th annual presentation that recognizes the best in queer literature, held at the Chicago Mart Plaza Holiday Inn May 31. Spoken-word performer Alix Olson co-hosted.
One of the best aspects of the presentation of the awards was the number of both Lammy nominees and winners present. For example, David Bergman, co-editor of the Lammy Award-winning Men On Men 2000 was at the ceremony to accept his award in the fiction anthology category. Other present winners included Michelle Tea ( Lesbian Fiction ) , K.M. Soehnlein ( Gay Fiction ) , Jean Marcy ( Lesbian Mystery...a collaboration between two women, Jean and Marcy ) , Elena Georgiou ( Lesbian Poetry ) , John Morgan Wilson ( Gay Men's Mystery ) , Judith Barrington ( Lesbian Biography/ Autobiography ) , David Ebershoff ( Transgender ) , Keri Pickett ( Visual Arts ) , Jim Grimsley ( Horror/Science Fiction/ Fantasy ) and Chris Freeman and Jim Berg ( Gay Studies ) . The president of Talk Miramax books accepted the Gay Biography/ Autobiography Lammy for 21-year-old author Douglas Murray, who was taking his final exams at Oxford. Lammy organizers Paul J. Willis, Greg Herren and Jim Marks should be commended for their part in having so many authors present at this year's Awards banquet.
For three days following the Lammy Awards, publishers took over McCormick Place convention center to present their wares to booksellers, members of the press, librarians, and others in the book and publishing industries. The Book Expo America ( BEA ) is where I get my yearly aerobic work out, walking the incredible expanse of the convention floor, racing to autograph sessions, running into old friends.
The haul is incredible. In addition to the wonderful books, there are promotional items that make the experience of the BEA unlike any other. For example, people attending the BEA need something in which to lug, I mean, carry the books that they are given by the publishing houses, so many of the publisher have stylish book bags to make the toting easier.
T-shirts are also in demand. Among this year's array was Mad Magazine ( which reads: "The Usual Gang Of Idiots" ) , University of Iowa Press ( "poetry is for everybody" ) , University of Arizona Press ( Edward Abbey quote from the book Edward Abbey...A Life ) , Abrams ( American Roots Music ) , National Book Foundation Gold Medal Award Tour ( with dates/venues on back and "Books Change Lives" on front ) , and Bookazine ( logo on back ) . Hats are becoming almost as popular as t-shirts.
I left the BEA with keychains ( Bookazine, Encounter Books, Bookzone.com ) , pens ( Indiana University Press, Duke University Press, Zebra ) , matches ( promoting the books Holding Fire by Elissa Wald from Context Books and Fire by Sebastian Junger from W. W. Norton ) , highlighters, more than a half dozen each of magnets and buttons, a bar of soap ( Betty's Book Of Laundry Secret by Betty Faust and Maria Rodale from Rodale ) , a baseball shaped yo-yo ( Veeck As In Wreck from University of Chicago Press ) , a memo board & pen ( Spy Vs. Spy: The Complete Casebook from Watson-Guptill ) , printed Post-it notes ( Office Kama Sutra from Chronicle Books ) , a Slinky ( World Almanac ) , a 3-D Hypno-Ring ( Captain Underpants from Blue Sky/ Scholastic Books ) and a bottle opener/corkscrew ( On Wine from Rizzoli ) . The most campy promo was white mints in a prescription pill bottle to promote the book Shadow Of The Dolls ( Crown ) , the sequel to Valley Of The Dolls.
As for the books, there a multitude of authors signing in both the designated author signing area and the publisher's booths. Among the authors who signed books were Lammy-nominees Christopher Rice ( A Density Of Souls from Talk Miramax ) , Louise Blum ( You're Not From Around Here from University of Wisconsin ) , Don Bachardy ( Stars In My Eyes from University of Wisconsin ) , John Searles ( Boy Still Missing from Morrow ) , and Cecilia Tan ( The Velderet from Circlet ) . Aforementioned Lammy winners Berg and Freeman were also at the University Of Wisconsin booth signing their book The Isherwood Century. Other signing authors included Mark Bego ( Cher: If You Believe from Cooper Square Press ) , Stephen Elliott ( A Life Without Consequences from MacAdam/Cage ) , Denise Chavez ( Loving Pedro Infante from FSG ) , Martin Goldsmith ( The Inextinguishable Symphony from Wiley ) , Maxine Clair ( October Suite from Random House ) , S. L. Wisenberg ( The Sweetheart Is In from Triquarterly Books ) , Penny Warner ( Learn To Sign The Fun Way from Prima ) , Lindsey Stokes ( Planet Idiot from Greenwich ) , and J. H. Hatfield ( Fortunate Son from Soft Skull ) .
As always, there are plenty of titles forthcoming of queer interest. Blithe House Quarterly editor Aldo Alvarez's Interesting Monsters ( Graywolf ) , Clive Barker's Coldheart Canyon ( Harper Collins ) , Robb Forman Dew's The Evidence Against Her from Little, Brown ( Dew wrote the book The Family Heart about her gay son ) , Ricardo J. Brown's The Evening Crowd at Kirmser's ( University of Minnesota ) , are just some of the titles to which you can look forward in the coming months. I was also pleased to find places of queer interest listed in both Shecky's Bar, Club & Lounge Guide 2002 ( Hangover Media ) and Thirsty...Los Angeles: A Guide The City's Greatest Cocktail Bar, Coffeehouse and Juice Bars! ( Glove Box Guides ) .
13th Lambda Literary Award:
Children & Y/A: Out Of The Ordinary...Noelle Howey and Ellen Samuels ( eds. ) ...St. Martin's
Lesbian & Gay Humor: Me Talk Pretty One Day...David Sedaris...Little, Brown
Lesbian & Gay Anthologies/Fiction: Men On Men 2000...David Bergman and Karl Woelz ( eds. ) ...Plume
Lesbian & Gay Anthologies/Non-Fiction: Out Of The Ordinary...Noelle Howey and Ellen Samuels ( eds. ) ...St. Martin's
Lesbian & Gay Horror/SF/Fantasy: Kirith Kirin...Jim Grimsley...Meisha Merlin
Lesbian & Gay Drama: Hedwig and the Angry Inch...John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask...Overlook Press
Lesbian & Gay Art/Photography: Faeries...Keri Pickett...Aperture
Lesbian & Gay Small Press Book ( tie ) :
Kamikaze Lust...Lauren Sanders...Akahsic; Between Dances...Erasmo Guerra...Painted Leaf
Lesbian & Gay Spirituality/Religion ( tie ) : Gay Spirituality...Toby Johnson...Alyson; It's Never About What It's About...Krandall Kraus and Paul Borja...Alyson
Transgender Books: The Danish Girl...David Ebershoff...Viking
Lesbian Mystery: Mommy Deadest...Jean Marcy...New Victoria
Gay Men's Mystery: The Limits Of Justice...John Morgan Wilson...Doubleday
Lesbian Poetry: Mercy Mercy Me...Elena Georgiou...Painted Leaf
Gay Men's Poetry: Pastoral...Carl Phillips...Graywolf
Lesbian Biography/Autobiography: Lifesaving...Judith Barrington...Eighth Mountain
Gay Men's Biography/Autobiography: Bosie...Douglas Murray...Talk Miramax
Lesbian Studies: Lesbian Art In America...Harmony Hammond...Rizzoli
Gay Men's Studies: The Isherwood Century...Jim Berg and Chris Freeman...University of Wisconsin Press
Lesbian Fiction: Valencia...Michelle Tea...Seal Press
Gay Men's Fiction: The World Of Normal Boys...K. M. Soehnlein...Kensington
Publisher's Service Award: Bill Cohen, Publisher, Haworth Press
Editor's Choice Award: Coming Out of Cancer...Victoria Brownworth, ed....Seal Press
The Lammys were sponsored by a broad array of companies and organizations that support gay/lesbian literature. Sponsors included: Bookazine, Haworth Press, Genre Magazine, American Booksellers Association, Windy City Times, Harris Bank Private Bank, the Gill Foundation, St. Martin's Press, Walsworth Publishing Company ( Marceline, MO ) , insightout.com, the Monette/Horwitz Trust, Gay Chicago, the Chicago Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, Human Rights Campaign, Citibank, TLA Video, Publishers Weekly, Random House, the Playboy Foundation, Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation and Venus Magazine.
See www.lambdalit.org .
