Gerber/Hart Library, the Midwest's leading gay and lesbian library, archives and resource center, will host a special reception and author reading on Friday, April 23, in honor of the nominees for this year's 16th Annual Lambda Literary Awards, the nation's premiere literary awards for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender authors and content.
'Gerber/Hart Celebrates the Lammys' will be at the Gerber/Hart Library at 1127 W. Granville, between Broadway and Sheridan Road on Chicago's North Side. Located just steps from the Granville 'El' Stop on Chicago's Red Subway Line, the program will begin at 7 p.m. with wine and hors d'oeuvres. A program from 7:30 to 8 p.m. will feature a reading by author Mark Zubro, reading his from his book Dead Egotistical Morons, nominated for a 2004 'Gay Men's Mystery' Lammy. There is no charge to attend the event and the public is welcome.
Mark Zubro is the author of 16 mysteries, seven of which have been nominated for Lammys, with his 1989 book, A Simple Suburban Murder, receiving the Lammy for best Gay Men's Mystery. His 16 novels form two series—the Tom Mason mysteries, featuring an openly gay Chicago detective, and the Paul Turner mysteries, following an openly gay English teacher who is an amateur sleuth. All of Zubro's books are published by New York-based St. Martin's press. A native of Racine, Wisc., Zubro himself is an English teacher, having taught 8th grade English for 32 years in Frankfort, Ill. He is also in his 19th year as the president of the Summit Hill Council of Teachers, affiliated with the Illinois Federation of Teachers.
'Gerber/Hart Celebrates...' precedes the 16th Annual Lambda Literary Awards, which will be presented at a gala reception, dinner and awards ceremony at the Holiday Inn Mart Plaza Thursday, June 3, the eve of BookExpo American Convention.
The Lambda Literary Awards recognize and honor the best in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender literature. From thousands of nominations received from across the country, five nominees have been selected in each of 20 categories. A panel of 74 judges, chosen to represent the diversity of the GLBT literary community, will determine the winners from the finalists in each category. For a complete list of Lammy Nominees, visit www.lambdalit.org . VIP Tickets to the ceremony are $175 and include VIP reception, dinner and awards. Regular tickets are $125 and include dinner and the awards.
For info about the Lambda Foundation, the Lammys, or to buy tickets, contact LLF at PO Box 73910, Washington, DC, 20056-3910, (202) 462-7924, llf@lambdalit.org, lambdalit.org . In Chicago, tickets may be obtained by contacting Third Coast Marketing at (773) 561-2704.